Obama Roasts Catholic Cardinal

Cardinal Timothy Dolan's geniality makes him ill-suited to head up an embattled church in America — a problem that the unfolding fiasco of the Al Smith dinner illustrates.

The New York prelate's invitation to the Church's most powerful foe, President Barack Obama, has outraged Catholics across the country, who want to know from Dolan: Why would you invite our enemy to a night of merriment? Why would you honor him at an event for a charity that his contraceptive mandate will break? And why would you let him use such an occasion to dupe Catholics into voting for his reelection?

They interpret the invitation as a symbol of episcopal waffling and a worldly church's penchant for prizing prestige over principle, as if guarding the marquee status of the Al Smith dinner were more important than avoiding scandal.

Cardinal Dolan took to his blog this week to answer these critics, relying on the very shaky and threadbare Vatican II-style clichés about "civility" that exposed the Church to a liberal takeover in the first place. "[T]he teaching of the Church, so radiant in the Second Vatican Council, is that the posture of the Church towards culture, society, and government is that of engagement and dialogue," Dolan wrote. "In other words, it's better to invite than to ignore, more effective to talk together than to yell from a distance, more productive to open a door than to shut one."

Continue reading at www.realclearreligion.org

« Previous Article

Posting Policy

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse. Read more.

If you find a comment offensive, please flag it as inappropriate by hovering over the down arrow to the right of that comment and clicking on the "Flag as inappropriate" text. Once a comment receives three "flags," it will be hidden from further view.

paxcat

Only works when both sides are "honorable!"
JohnnyHiott

I agree with paxcat that it only works when both sides are honorable. However we are told plainly in our Holy Bible we are to hate the sin and not the sinner. I've thought a great deal of how America has gotten where we are these days. If one looks back it is easily seen how satin through our government and the inactivity of Christians has brought America to the brink of destruction. Little by little our rights our religious freedoms , liberties , our economy and livelyhood have been steadily eroded by politicians doing the devils work. We all know the Lord works in mysterious ways. He uses his people to do his will. God may very well be trying to bless America again by having given us obama the marxist in order to awaken us to the danger we face due to America's turning away from God. God uses evil people such as obama to get his point across too. Americas problems are so numerous at present and only God can heal our nation. We the people must remove obama but we must also remove the majority of congress that has been complicit in obama's destruction of our Religious freedoms and of America.
- http://twitter.com/BradNova Brad Nova
  
  As far as I can tell, the U.S. is more religiously free then ever in our history. Why do you think otherwise?
  - fliteking
    
    Key words "As far as I can tell"
    
    Simple denial. Says a lot about you Brad. Denial of your surroundings do not make them go away.
    - http://twitter.com/BradNova Brad Nova
      
      And you desire to criticize rather than debate says a lot about you.
      
      The more we keep religion from government, the freer we are. The article below shows some awesome religious leaders who understood this.
      
      http://www.alternet.org/story/154125/5_brave_religious_leaders_who_fought_christian_theocracy_in_america/
      - fliteking
        
        I have seen many responses from multiple users countering your posts, and yet you chose to remain obtuse. Said another way, you do not debate, rather you duck the obvious and continue to tow the liberal line.
        
        Example There is an obvious war on Christians in America – - – and yet you have the nerve to post the following:
        "As far as I can tell, the U.S. is more religiously free then ever in our history. Why do you think otherwise?"
        
        Many liberals convert and see the world in relevance of importance: God; Family; Freedom; Country. Not you though. Yet you, Brad, insist on towing the liberal line and interfering with God; Family; Freedom; Country.
        
        Further, the need for you (liberals) to provide a huge safety net allowing for all possible scenarios of people who have made choices that effect their place life clearly interferes with those seeking to pursue their lives in the above mentioned – God; Family; Freedom; Country. Higher taxes, more waste, vote buying, less religious freedom, denial of God, denial of individual rights are what result from towing the liberal line. Poverty still exists, yet you live in the most prosperous nation in the world and refuse to look at any alternatives.
        
        The notion that Conservatives do not care for others and therefore the liberals must do it through politically slanted process of excluding some and favoring others is stolid at best. American Conservatives are the most generous people in the world. To think we are scared gun toting illiterate rednecks is at best an uniformed position to adopt and maintain.
        
        Care to debate?
      - http://twitter.com/BradNova Brad Nova
        
        I would love to debate. Let's start with "There is an obvious war on Christians in America".
        
        People feel that not allowing teachers to lead prayers or not allowing government offices to display the ten commandments is somehow a war on Christianity. Nothing could be further from the truth.
        
        There are a hundred different versions of the bible. Some people tell me that the commandment should be "thou shalt not murder" instead of kill. Who gets to decide what version is displayed in public? What if you are offended by the radical interpretations that are displayed on public land? Does that mean that the majority gets to bully you into dealing with it? Not according to our constitution.
        
        So who do you think is waging this war on Christians and what casualties or even battles have there been?
        
        “Forced religion stinks in the nostrils of God,”
      - http://twitter.com/BradNova Brad Nova
        
        Fliteking, where did you go?
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Paul-Brown/100002411832072 Paul Brown
        
        Little boy, we are nothing without God in our lives. Just because you support this atheist moron in his quest to destroy America, don't push your stupidity off on others who happen to believe.
      - Evermyrtle
        
        Telling the truth is not criticism.
- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001064080201 Stephen Knott II
  
  Johnny, there is no scripture that says "hate the sin, not the sinner". Only the sinners are haters, and we are practicing love only when we separate from them, the only love is obedience to His commandments. It says if you don't "separate" from them you then will have the blood on your hands as a partaker of their evil deeds, bidding them godspeed…. It says don't eat with them, don't keep company with them, don't stand in their congregations nor sit in seats of scornful , nor in the ways of sinners. Christians who love say one thing only "go and sin no more".
http://twitter.com/BradNova Brad Nova

President Obama is not an enemy to the Catholic church.
- Evermyrtle
  
  Actually it is not the Catholic church he is against, he is an antichrist, which means he is wholeheartedly against JESUS CHRIST.
- agbjr
  
  Uhhh, duh? Obama is just as anti-Roman Catholic as the Know-Nothings were in the 1850's, the KKK was in the 1920's, and most Southern Democrats were through the 1960's. You seem to be sadly blind to what has been unfolding around you.
- petroskhan
  
  I would agree that he is not an enemy of the catholic church, as the statement is not inclusive enough.
  
  He is an enemy of Christianity, and any other religion that is NOT islam. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying, blind, or both.
agbjr

On the surface it seems Archbishop Dolan is just following Jesus' lesson to turn-the-other-cheek however I believe His Eminence is setting the stage for Obama to demonstrate to Catholics why they should NOT vote for him. Archbishop Dolan is honest to a fault, he can not utter a word that he himself does not believe and stand by whereas Obama has proven time and again he will adjust his remarks to fit the audience and frankly lie through his teeth as long as it serves his political agenda. After fours years of Obama's socialism and his blatant disdain for the First Amendment people now see through his worn catch-phrases and so-called promises. American Roman Catholics who are truly dedicated to their Faith and the Constitution know too well the battle Obama is waging against the Church and they will not forget their Faith when they enter the voting booth. Do not discount Timothy Dolan for His Eminence knows exactly what he is doing.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Doug-Smith/100000515718350 Doug Smith

Whats the Cardinal been smoking for the last 4 years. At some point engagement becomes futile. That point has been reached with Obama's HHS betrayal.
Evermyrtle

Obama is the best roaster, tI know of, he big problem he has not a clue, who he should roast and gets the wrong one every time.
cmjay

Obama BARBECUED the CARDINAL and the CATHOLIC CHURCH. Is the CARDINAL so STUPID to think that the anti CATHOLIC Obama is going to stop his attack on our RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ? Obama is pandering to CATHOLICS for their VOTE. A vote for him is an endorsement to KILL more BABIES.