Last night His Eminence Timothy Card. Dolan was on with Bill O’Reilly on FNC. O’Reilly actually let him get a word in.
This is the first part of the interview. I understand that the rest of it will be posted elsewhere. I don’t know where, but I know one of you will.
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The full interview will be featured on Sirius radio channel 129 (The Catholic Channel) 12:00 p.m. on 3/29/2012.
I know nothing about Cardinal Dolan, but watching this video I realized how refreshing it was to see a bishop able to communicate with the modern media.
I have never heard Cardinal Dolan speak before. Not only is he clear-thinking and totally prepared, his ACCENT is believable. New York/New Jersey accents are astonishing to us southerners. I haven’t watched The Sopranos or movies about gangsters, so I have that sound in my head from Mayor Guliani on 9/11, Governor Christie and now Cardinal Dolan, all people I believe are trustworthy. Foolish, yes? But of such strange things are trust made or unmade. How many people did NOT trust President Bush (or Governor Perry) because of the way they talked, which to me just sounds normal?
I like the fact the Cardinal Dolan looks like a cardinal.
No tab collars (usually). Not even the clerical business suit (usually). His pectoral cross is always visible, not shamefully tucked in a pocket. Cassock with the proper color, zucchetto , etc. more often than not.
He even wore a cassock visiting Ground Zero.
I hope this is a trend. His appearance commands authority.
(that) Cardinal Dolan…
HyacinthClare – His Eminence is from the midwest, not NY/NJ, but your right about his voice being powerful and clear with good diction. He and Archbishop Sheen, with whom he often draws comparisons for his media savvy, actually grew up only about 200 miles (and half a century) apart.
“O’Reilly actually let him get a word in.” ROFL Timothy Cardinal Dolan is a force that is not easily bullied. God bless him.
He should have emphasized two things which he didn’t. [So, you have heard the entire interview? Good for you! I haven’t found the other part yet. Could you give a link?]
When saying that the issue is not about contraception, but religious freedom, he should’ve stated something to the tune of “The issue is not just about contraception, which is immoral and breeds sexual immorality and abortion and puts marriages as risk, but also an issue of Religious Freedom.”
And when asked whether he would tell Catholics not to vote for Obama, should’ve emphasized, “It is a fact, however, that issues of morality, especially abortion, are of primary concern; and Catholics have a moral obligation to vote against any politicians, regardless of party, to protect life and promote true Catholic morality.”
That did not go well. [Gratis asseritur, gratis negatur. Please tell us why it did not “go well”.]
(in my opinion).
I found the Cardinal to be a very compelling communicator in that segment. He articulated his points very clearly and effectively. I would love to be able to hear or see the rest of it.
Some of his statements seemed ambiguous. He seemed uncertain and overly conciliatory towards Bill. He did come across as confident when speaking about the moral positions of the Church.
I respect Cardinal Dolan, and he seems to be a very humble man but I didn’t think this part of the interview went well.
*didn’t
bobbyva2001: Okay, I’ll bite.
Place yourself in that chair across from O’Reilly. Keep in mind your role: Archbp. of NY and Pres. of USCCB in a state of war with the Obama Administration. Keep in mind your audience: their make up and how large the viewship. Keep in mind that it is recorded and everyone will parse it.
What should Card. Dolan have said? What would you have said?
Give us a little transcript so that I can understand what I and other priests and bishops are supposed to say when interviewed.
Thanks in advance.
He sounds authoritative but soft in public. This is what he has to do, given the difficulties in communication that exist both inside and outside the Church. However, I hope that the work that’s needed to support what he’s saying in public is really being done in the background. The bishops need to close ranks and define what it is to be Catholic more intelligently and coherently. This is time for people, great & small, to realize where they stand with the Church and make appropriate choices about where they intend to be in years to come.
We can do our parts by being very discerning where our support and money and attention goes. We also personally, in each of our dispersed lives, need to be plain-spoken and honest about the Church and keep learning what we can about the Church. That is the advantage of being a non-famous, non-celebrated human being. We can continue to learn, we can pray anywhere anytime, and we can go about our business being proud and happy to be Catholics in a way that more “celebrated” individuals can’t. We shouldn’t be obnoxious at all, but we need to be “out there” and we need to be thinking. This is important.
PS, and some kind of a verbal hammer won’t work if it comes just from one prominent Churchman, even if he is *the* current prominent Churchman that the media thinks to talk to.
Rather, when discipline appears it must come in two ways and both ways are important:
a) all at once. Example: when the bishops all signed the statement condemning the HHS mandate
b) dispersed in a compelling cascade. Example: when bishop after bishop says the same thing at different times building a climate of inevitability for the Church. This hasn’t been done as well, although some of it is appearing. This is also the hard part for many dioceses because this is a new atmosphere from the point of view of the average complacent & self-satisfied Catholic. We need to hear a patter of non-contestable disciplinary statements coming from bishops across the country. When bishops and “non-famous” individuals are called on these things, outsiders need to get a matter-of-fact shoulder shrug from us. It is what it is.
Carinal Dolan takes the teeth out of the presumption of some that Catholic hierarchy will tell Catholics who to vote for. Even though it must be very tempting, even though Protestant pastors seem to do so without a backlash. He emphasizes that it is the laity who should be the major voice of the Church in the arena. I think he disarms people by expressly communicating a different message than the liberals have prepared people for.
As for OReilly, I thought he seemed very respectful to the Cardinal. Perhaps that is why he allowed him so much airtime.
I am a bit taken aback by your response. I had not intention to bait you into anything, if that’s what “biting” implies. Also, there is no need to be disdainful and sarcastic when someone gives an opinion that disagrees with your own. [On the contrary! I am genuinely interested in how you think clerics ought to be interviewed. You said that the interview did not go well. You offered little in the way of explanation. Therefore, I asked.]
By commenting on this video I was not offering the guide to all public discourse. I gave my reasons for believing so, which you solicited. (For “understanding what you and other priests and bishops are supposed to say when interviewed” see: Cardinal Raymond Burke). [My request stands. What would you have said?]
Why was His Eminence in a wheelchair?? [He wasn’t. O’Reilly had the same kind of chair.]
bobbyva2001,
I don’t think Fr. Z was being “disdainful and sarcastic.” He asked you “What should Card. Dolan have said? What would you have said?” In other words, please support your views with evidence. Evidence is what gives opinions credibility. Therefore, please tell us specifically, in concrete terms, where “Some of his statements seemed ambiguous”? And where specifically, ” He seemed uncertain and overly conciliatory”? I think the readers would be interested to know.
Very disappointing….
Cardinal Dolan fights like an administrator. He has framed the HHS mandate as an unprecedented Constitutional battle which it is. His lawyers are the warriors. The battlefield is secular. His aversion to making this “political” is astounding. Where is the spiritual? Where is the shepherd? [Okay. What should he have said? Please be concrete.]
The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is an intrinsic evil. It teaches that we risk losing eternal life if we promote, aid or abet this intrinsic evil. The HHS mandate promotes evil.
Catholics will vote in November.
Will the Cardinal and the clergy remind Catholics from the pulpit about the fatal possibilities to our souls of choosing evil? Will the Church even open that conversation?
Are not our priests and pastors obligated to warn Catholic voters about this? [Could you write the script for him and for all priests and bishops? Go ahead and use this combox to post your own perfect version of what we ought to say. It could be helpful. Keep in mind the audience is the immediate viewership of Bill O’Reilly and then the internet surfers, etc.]
It is our job as laypeople to get out and hustle for the right man to be elected and that is what we are doing. This is what the lay Catholic vocation is about. WE have to bring the Church to the world.
It is the job of the bishops to teach and to reinforce us in sound teaching and liturgy, as we reinforce them in our own way which is bringing the teachings of the Church into the world.
I will just say this:
Yes religious freedom is the issue from a political perspective but in all actuality, the only reason the administration is even able to attempt such a thing is because of the total neglect of the issue of contraception since the late 60s on behalf of a large part of the clergy. [Right. That is true. And we can spend lots of energy whining about what others should have done. This is now. In the here and now, what shall we do?] Contraception Catholics may reject the Church’s teaching on the issue but they also just plain don’t know or understand it. [So, that suggests preaching and catechesis. I think most people know that the Church teaches something or other against contraception. But most people don’t know why.] So what is to be done with this situation? Certainly we have to protest this law but what about as Catholics? [Good question.] Should we just sweep the real crisis [The “real crisis”?]that allowed for this to happen under the rug, and rally in the name of religious freedom? Or, are we going realize that this situation has gotten out of control, recognize the call, and begin an internal evangelization? [What is the “real crisis”? The lack of preaching about contraception?]
Catholics view the O’Reilly factor as well, and if I was a dissenting catholic who watched that interview [Now you will use your psychic powers….] I would not come away with any reason to: a. believe there are any expectations of me as a catholic voter, [Do you honestly think that Dolan gave the impression that he thinks voting for Pres. Obama would be a good things?] or, b. believe there is any reason to doubt my stand on contraception, or consider it other than a arbitrary issue. [And?] It reminds me of a line in the movie A Man For All Seasons, “silence gives consent”, this is what is assumed when there is silence on the issue. [What, exactly, has Card. Dolan been silent on in this matter? Contraception? He should have made this %200 into a battle about contraception rather than the Church’s freedom to teach about contraception in the future or take a stand against being forced to pay for abortifacients, etc? ]
I must say that I am only commenting on this video, and it very well may be that Cardinal Dolan addressed these things in the full interview. [But you think this didn’t “go well”.] That being said here are some alternatives to what he actually said: [And yet I was hoping for what YOU would have said or what YOU would have priests and bishops actually say.]
1. “Yes, it is unfortunate that so many Catholics are at odds with the Church’s teaching on contraception” (It is not a difference of opinion, as one may have perceived from watching this clip. The Church is not divided on the issue, there are those that are not with the Church, period. ).
2. “No, I would not tell Catholics what candidate they should vote for but I would tell them to be mindful that candidates who support a, b, and c, are in direct violation of……etc.”
I don’t think any of this is unreasonable. I am not one of those who wants imprudent statements either but as Bishop Chaput says,”these sins must be called by name”. Ambiguity in the name of relevance has borne its fruits, and they are not plentiful.
I am not trying to make a blog of your comment section Father, forgive me. [No forgiveness necessary. Perhaps it is not very easy to know exactly what to say after all.]
ALL: If you are going to pick on Card. Dolan, fine. Pick on him. In ancient times, such as in the Church of N. Africa in the time of Augustine and other Fathers of the Church, when people were angry at their bishops – justly or not – they sometimes drove them out of town or attacked them on the road. They could create public tumult and riot. Bishops are not exempt from getting hard reviews when they are deserved.
However, this is my blog. And if you think that a bishop did a lousy job at something, explain yourself and, if possible, add what he should have said.
Who knows? You might just help some poor bishop with talking points for his own time on the spit over the coals of the press and your armchair analysis.
And I mean that! You might, in fact, help.
The part about whether he’s going to tell people how to vote seemed quite a deft move. I bet he gets asked that a lot.
There are many other reasons of why he shouldn’t directly tell people who to vote for, but in choosing “they don’t like me to tell them that” – is absolutely true – and it deflects the attention elsewhere and adds a touch of humor. Of course we know people should be more docile but that’s a bigger issue.
I found this part of the interview was quite well done – it seemed rushed (not surprising) and the Cardinal did get quite a bit of freedom to speak. For a many-faceted situation, I think he chose pretty good talking points. If he focused on merely morality, it would not have communicated the issue as well in the time allowed.
(was it cut and edited? Some of the cutbacks didn’t seem natural)
He seemed very personable in the interview – like he was talking to friends. That’s a good thing – I listen to my friends.
I couldn’t watch any of it. I anticipated a typical Bill O’Reilly hatchet job with numerous episodes of “don’t talk while I’m interrupting”, and just didn’t feel like seeing Cardinal Dolan minced. I consider it all a terrific success if Cardinal Dolan got any points across.
bobbyva2001, your comment must have been Fr.s “straw”. It’s ok! We can take turns being Fr.’s straw. :) I can be next, but I warn you, I’ll blubber, wail and moan, there will be gnashing of teeth.
bobbyva2001,
The Catholic church has a lot of whining laypeople who want to blame someone else for their bad behavior. They want to be spoon-fed and cajoled every step of the way or it’s someone else’s fault as far as they are concerned. This is really what the problem is, and your comments are a perfect example of this attitude.
There is no reason why even a rather dull and witless Catholic adult layperson might not know that both abortion and contraception are sinful. It’s been in our literature for 2000 years. It’s in the Bible. It’s in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and countless other Catholic books. It’s been in Tradition for thousands of years. Catholics talk about it. It’s everywhere. Even non-Catholics know we believe this. How could someone even remotely normal over the age of about 12 or 13 possibly not know this? They couldn’t. So stop whining and blaming other people. It’s disgusting.
I saw the interview last night ‘live’. I felt fine afterward (as opposed to frazzled in the wake of many secular speakers) – even – both proud of and pleased with the demeanor and real conversation and communication between both men. It might be on the Fox site or on Bill O’Reilly’s site.
At this point in the comments, there’s a risk of being perceived as brown-nosing, Fr. Z, but –
here goes.
I’ve watched or heard a few Bishops (Lori, Chaput, Morlino, and names I can’t recall right now on EWTN) and Cardinals Dolan, George, and the Texan ? since January 20th, 2012 when The Mandate was announced at noon. Seemed like forever until the Consistory for Cardinal-elect Dolan. [Anyway, it’s been two months and what remains is reaching the laity through the Sunday Bulletin again. And again. My sense is that they need more word from HQ.]
Their prevailing attitude is equanimity, amazing equanimity and realism, projecting the fruits of their faith. This calm in articulating the ways in which rights of conscience are threatened is a lesson in itself and is, also, a healing experience for frazzlement. We need to keep listening.
The interview was a short segment of the program. It sounds like we may hear more. Both Reilly and Hannity are giving a voice to the Catholic Church that mainstream is not. Cardinal Dolan’s vitality and intelligence spoke of the issue of freedom to act in good conscience versus the Administration’s portrayal of the issue being contraception stodginess (my word); the secularization of so many aspects of what work the Church does (education, medical, nursing, food, shelter, counsel, etc.) ; and voting endorsements, which was a good response in that it was light and understated the obvious.
I just think there will be more to hear and read. Also, the World Over on EWTN and other weekly shows have interviews, and Daily Mass has guest Priests and Bishops as well as their own good Priests whose sermons are enlightening the matter at hand.
To be honest, I think the Church is very wise in not endorsing a particular candidate for office. That being said, I think Cardinal Dolan made two pertinent points, this mandate is directed at dividing members of the Church whom are already much divided. To publicly state that no Catholics can vote for Obama would be akin to saying the Church is bent on destroying Obama, and this would be the focus of every media outlet in the US. While I did not, nor would I ever consider voting for Obama, and was quite vocal in regards to the reasons why I would not vote for him, I honestly believe we got not only what we deserved, but a blessing in disguise. The “don’t touch that one with a ten foot pole lest someone walks out” teachings of the Catholic Church are being touched by this administration in such a way that all members of the Catholic Church are forced from ignorance to acknowledgment that the teachings, though not so publicly proclaimed and preached, do, indeed exist. There is a very personal war against the Catholic Church being waged by this current administration which seeks to reduce her faithful to the status of “dhimmitude” through the imposition of fines for not providing what they cannot consent to. The more glaring reality, is, that there stands in this stead, those who profess themselves to be devoted “catholics” who will celebrate this as an achievement.
I loved this response of Cardinal Dolan: “To think that there is a ‘Berlin Wall’ between one’s religious convictions and political activities – it’s crazy, it’s ludicrous. It’s not only non-Catholic, non-Christian, non-Biblical – it’s un-American”
Also, I really think people need to recognize this was not a Cardinal addressing his flock, but a Cardinal talking to an audience that probably reflects a similar percentage of Catholics as there are in the nation. If over 60% of the audience is not Catholic, he really need to reach those people to understand why the Catholic Church is up in arms.
Further, I noticed when the recordings started and stopped on +Dolan’s responses. We. Don’t’. Know – all of what he said, even in that abbreviated segment. It was clearly edited.
That said, I thought he did pretty good in explaining the situation to what is most likely, a non-Catholic audience. He also did so without being nasty and sometimes I think that is what people want. They want to see a bishop thumping his chest and using a verbal equivalent of a baseball bat.
For that reason, I too have been anxious to hear a response to Father Z’s question to some in this combox as to how Cardinal Dolan should have presented himself in the short clip (mindful, that Cardinal Dolan likely had no idea what part of his longer interview would be used on the Factor, and how that segment would be edited). There was no script.
I thought Card. Dolan did well. Television interviews are difficult and dangerous. There is no time for real depth, and whatever is said will be taken out of context to serve the purposes of others, no matter how careful you may be. The challenge is to present a message from which it is all but impossible to snip excerpts which may be used to invert meaning. Good luck with that.
I’ve watched the interview and I haven’t got any criticism at all for Cardinal Dolan. The cardinal was just fine, I thought, and Bill O’Reilly seemed almost timid. Of course, I think anyone would be intimidated, sitting across from a big, animated Type A personality cardinal on his own turf, surrounded by portraits of other cardinals.
I’m not sure why it would be imagined that an interview with a political talk show host is the right opportunity for a Catholic prelate to wax theological. The Spin Factor is a cotton candy political entertainment show, not a moral theology seminar. Who was expecting a catechism lesson or a sermon or moral theology lecture?
In any event, the issue happens to be the current threats against religious liberty by this reckless administration. That threat, for the moment, happens to be coming in the form of the executive of our federal government trying to force the Catholic Church to pay for contraception for her employees, but the issue is not contraception, per se. The issue is religious liberty. That is what Cardinal Dolan addressed. And he did so with his usual aplomb.
Maybe bishops should interview in pairs- good-cop, bad-cop style. You could have Chaput and Dolan interview together. Cardinal Dolan could give the jovial responses and Chaput could give the smack-down whenever the interviewer asked a difficult or ridiculous question. That would be highly entertaining and educational. In all seriousness, though, I thought Cardinal Dolan gave a decent interview from the snippet above. It was highly diplomatic to not come right out and tell people not to vote for Obama, because that would have been feeding the trolls who would have just taken that soundbite and blasted it throughout the media without any context, further supporting the erroneous view that the Church is a tyrant. I would have liked to see him give some guiding priciples for Catholics’ voting because depending on the bishop speaking the laity are not hearing a unified answer, but perhaps he did in the longer interview. I also would like to hear that while the issue of the mandate is primarily about religious freedom, it also is about contraception which Catholics believe is harmful to marriages, women, children and society. Give people an idea of why we are so opposed to contraception. Again, I realize that an O’Reilly interview is not a homily at Mass, but why lose the opportunity to explain a little about an issue that most Catholics don’t even understand, let alone the outside world. Sneak some Theology of the Body in while you’re discussing the freedom of religion aspect, otherwise people may think Catholics are all throwing a nutty over something rather trivial. Just an arm-chair quarterback response from someone who has not been ordained as a bishop.
@catholicmidwest:
I heartily disagree with you on this statement:
“There is no reason why even a rather dull and witless Catholic adult layperson might not know that both abortion and contraception are sinful. ”
Perhaps you are only referring to the “good, faithful-to-Church-teaching” Catholics in the US. They are NOT the majority and that’s a fact. I believe that the majority of Catholics in the US never crack open the bible, think that the Catechism of the Catholic Church means CCD class (I KNOW people who actually think this), and reading Catholic books and knowing tradition?…well, forget about it…they don’t even make time for the bible or going to Mass.
I for one, was never told by anyone growing up Catholic in the 70’s and 80’s anything other than the “Vatican” is against abortion and birth control. Which coming from church leaders seemed to imply that we don’t have to listen to a bunch of stuffy old men up on a hill in another country. I had a friend say to me the other day, she didn’t know that contraception was wrong until 5 years ago! I found out myself through watching EWTN, not because of any homily I had heard.
I can only assume from your statements that you are surrounded by a good faithful group of Catholics and attend a wonderfully solid parish. If that’s the case you are very fortunate because it’s not the norm. Maybe you live in Steubenville, OH?
Also, I find the treatment of bobbyva2001 here to be a bit over the top. And not just because I agree with him.
cblanch,
The era when people could credibly get away with blaming others for their own ignorance and lack of sentience is over, cblanch. You can google “catholic abortion” and the first thing that comes up is an account of the Catholic church’s condemnation of the practice. You can do that on any cell phone (even my pay as you go clunker) or a computer, or a host of other electronic devices now, and you can do it from McDonald’s or any number of other venues. You don’t even need your own internet access anymore to get this information.
Not only that, but there are literally millions of Catholic books that all relay the same information, and millions of Catholics willing to tell anyone who asks, in case the hearer is so pitifully imprisoned in his own miserable head that this is the only venue into his senses.
The Church has taught that both abortion and contraception are morally wrong for 2000 YEARS. Get that? 2000 years. And the Jews taught it before that.
I, for one, am sick and tired of Catholics PRETENDING, YES PRETENDING to not know what the Church teaches so that they can do whatever the hell they want and PRETEND to get away with it. They’re NOT fooling anyone. GAME OVER.
catholicmidwest:
Yes, it has been the TEACHING of the Church for 2000+ years that both abortion and contraception are morally wrong. But can you honestly say that in the last 50 years here in America that lay Catholics have been TAUGHT that? The message has not been clear and many lay people don’t understand WHY it’s wrong. The media backs their arguments up pretty well with the opposing position. So with the lack of catechisis combined with natural human selfishness, it’s pretty easy to see how people end up coming to the conclusion that contraception is okay. I think only today because of our medical technology does abortion seems so obviously heinous. The media used to make it sound like a trip to the dentist back in the 70’s and many people naively believed them.
In a culture where “obedience” is a bad word, the people STILL need to know why contraception is bad. They won’t change without an explanation. Or just because the Catholic Church says so. The explanation has to make logical sense to them, which should be the easy part of it because the Church’s teaching is based on God’s natural law. It just has to be fearlessly presented. And those of us that know better need to be patient with them because we have sins of our own to address that the Lord is patient with us on. Maybe it’s time to join a bible study or something over at the “folk Mass” parish to help spread the message around a bit. There’s plenty of work for everyone.
I think His Eminence did EXCELLENTLY! Everything from the way he leaned forward in his chair, to the way way he articulately explained the oppositions strategy said, “we know the enemy, we know the battle ground, so bring it!” i particularly like the way he put those who think that ALL Catholics are mindless sheep in their place. “Even faithful Catholics don’t like us to tell them how to vote…they like us to speak about principle to be clear, cogent and compelling…” That’s quite a mouthful and i think there is a little in there for everybody– media, Clerical and pew sitter. I think as representatives go he’s a good one and prayers can only improve him. The Lord bless him and keep him! and Our Lady protect him!
Speaking as somebody who has spent some (mercifully brief) time in broadcasting and used to earn a living standing up in front of twelve people I didn’t know and convincing them to sympathize with, agree with, and therefore find for my client . . . .
I think Card. Dolan did splendidly. He was not giving a homily, he was not speaking to a congregation, he was in a fairly hostile environment and knew that the obnoxious O’Reilly would pounce on him given half a chance, and would also edit him and leave the best of his responses on the cutting room floor.
“First, do no harm.” Also, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” He followed those commands to the letter. He was personable, jovial, reasonable, all characteristics that it is hard to hate. He did not allow himself to be distracted into a discussion of contraception or abortion (that’s for the homily.) He was modest, and he declined to be baited into providing fuel for the Know-Nothing “Those eeevil Catholic Bishops order their mind-numbed robot flocks how to vote.” He also made his points in a terse but memorable way that is hard to edit (that’s why the cuts are as visible as they are.)
This deft performance makes it far more difficult for our enemies to characterize the bishops as a bunch of mean old men who want to rule with an iron rod and oppress women.
He has my prayers in any event.
[So, you have heard the entire interview? Good for you! I haven’t found the other part yet. Could you give a link?]
Replying late to this, but anyway… I didn’t mean to make my response sound harsh on Cardinal Dolan. Lord knows I often forget to say things that should’ve been said or wish I could’ve articulated something I’d said better. But you’re right, I should hold out for watching the entire interview, and know what was cut and what wasn’t.
for Johnno – Link to Card. Dolan interviewed by Bill O’Reilly:
http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/oreilly/ …
When you get there, scroll down to the section on latest interviews and as a to-do while there, if interested, look at the poll results ongoing.
I know lots of people who are baptized, confirmed Catholics who go to Mass every week without fail who do not know the teachings of the Church. It seems to be pretty common around where I am (central OH). I changed parishes to escape from them.
Why did 54% of the Catholic vote support Obama in 2008? It’s because, as Cardinal Dolan put it, “even very faithful Catholics don’t like their bishops or priests telling them how to vote.” No-wait – it’s really because the bishops and priests have neglected to tell us how to vote, and they have neglected this duty for too many years. (I suspect, partially in fear of losing the tax-exempt status?) Since we no longer have informed consciences due to lack of spiritual leadership, lack of substantial Sunday homilies and the forgotten duty of the people to instruct themselves in their Faith, we are unable to vote correctly on our own. I say, who cares what people “want”? Give them what they “need” Cardinal Dolan! Maybe what we need is for the Church to lose the tax-exempt status, so there is no reason not to speak what needs to be spoken!
The interview sounded fine to me. Cardinal Dolan seems pretty good at getting his points across in such a setting.
s i says:
Why did 54% of the Catholic vote support Obama in 2008?
Two reasons:
1. They were mad at the Repubs because Bush43 wasn’t a good President.
2. McCain was a p-poor candidate.
@robtbrown – your items are certainly valid, however, they do NOT justify voting for someone as evil as Obama. And he IS evil. He would kill his own grandchild if one of his daughters got pregnant and decided it was inconvenient.
Robtbrown, and SI are both right.
Obama is evil. The only Republican candidate worse than McCain is Romney. Romney is on both sides of these important moral issues. I pray that we have the choice of Santorum, Gingrich or even Ron Paul. I am afraid the choice between Obama and Romney is the choice between someone who proudly tells you he is going to do something and does it, evil or not, and someone who tells you he going to do something (to get your vote) and does the opposite, evil or not.
Cardinal Dolan is head and shoulders above his recent predecessors, however too little too late I fear.
I pray that I am just a tired and hungry pessimist this last week of Lent.
Please fast and pray for me, bishops, priests and the USA.
Thank you in advance,
Fxr2