Cardinal Dolan on the US Election, the Radical Abortion License, Religious Liberty, Marriage, Debt and Solidarity

By Deacon Keith Fournier
10/7/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

I am bothered that we are losing sight of voting as an exercise in moral judgment, in which certain priority issues-especially the life issues,

I am concerned about a culture that has become increasingly callous about the radical abortion license, and a legal system that affords more protection to endangered species of plants and animals than to unborn babies; that considers pregnancy a disease; that interprets "comprehensive health care" in such a way that it may be used to threaten the life of the baby in the womb (and, it should be noted, to exclude the undocumented immigrant as well).

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NEW YORK, NY (Ctaholic Online) - On the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, one day before he headed for Rome to participate in the historic Synod on the New Evangelization, Cardinal Timothy Dolan authored another outstanding column. It was one in a series he regularly pens for the "Catholic New York". The series is entitled "Lord, to Whom Shall We Go" and the article, entitled "Cherished Saint Brought Christ to World Around Him", can be read in its entirety here.

Our readers should be well aware of the leadership of this great Cardinal of the Church and the esteem with which he is held by this author. I write regularly about his courage and the clarity which he has brought to the leadership of the Conference of Bishops in the United States at this critical time in our history. You can click here to read the most recent of numerous articles I have written about the Cardinal Archbishop of New York. I have written many more and plan to continue the practice. He is one great gift to both Church and Nation.

However, though I share the Cardinal's appreciation for St. Francis, the little poor man of Assisi, I was concerned that the title of the Cardinal's recent column, dedicated to and written on the Feast of Francis, as well as its placement, might limit its readership. That would be tragic. The instruction and insights this column offers on the exercise of our faithful citizenship is simply too important! The concerns which the Cardinal shares must become the material out of which we approach this election and our own exercise of voting.

I offer below a portion of the Cardinals recent article for your serious and prayerful reflection as November 6, 2012 draws near.

*****
Timothy Cardinal Dolan

"Those Americans who have faith in God, and in His Son, Jesus, and venerate saints such as Francis, also find themselves in the middle of the world, and cherish our freedom to bring the teaching of Jesus, which we hear both in the Good News proclaimed in the Bible and in the life of Francis, to the public square and political process."

"We've certainly been reminded of that these past 10 months, which have seen the religious community in the United States engaged in a major conflict with the administration over the first freedom-religious liberty, our "first and most cherished freedom." I am deeply grateful to the Catholic people of the United States, to my brother bishops and priests, to men and women of all faiths or none at all, for accepting this challenge, and for rising to the defense of religious liberty in full."

"In that defense, we stand for every man and woman of conscience; we seek no special favors, but we insist that the inalienable rights of religion be respected and honored in law and federal regulatory practice."

"In the document "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," published by the bishops of the United States, we are reminded that, "In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. This obligation is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and to bear Christian witness in all we do." And so, as I leave for Rome, I want to share with you some of the concerns that I will bring with me to the tombs of the apostles, SS. Peter and Paul, and to Assisi, the town of St. Francis."

"I am concerned about a culture that has become increasingly callous about the radical abortion license, and a legal system that affords more protection to endangered species of plants and animals than to unborn babies; that considers pregnancy a disease; that interprets "comprehensive health care" in such a way that it may be used to threaten the life of the baby in the womb (and, it should be noted, to exclude the undocumented immigrant as well)."

"I am concerned as well for the infirm and elderly who are nearing the end of life, that they will not be treated with the respect, dignity and compassion that is their due, but instead be encouraged to seek a hasty death before they can become, according to some, "a burden to society."

"I am worried that we may be reducing religious freedom to a kind of privacy right to recreational activities, reducing the practice of religion to a Sabbath hobby, instead of a force that should guide our public actions, as Michelle Obama recently noted, Monday through Friday.

"I am bothered by the prospect of this ...

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1 - 8 of 8 Comments

Shauna Ramirez
7 months ago
Should VP Joe Biden be excommunicated from the Catholic Church?

One of my female Catholic friends told me that she believes what VP Joe Biden believes when he spoke about abortion during the 10-11-2012 Vice Presidential Debate ... she said:

"I agree with Joe Biden and I don't impose my beliefs about abortion on others."

Well, VP Joe Biden should be standing up and defending his Catholic beliefs against abortion ... instead, he is supporting abortion and leading the Faithful astray.

What VP Joe Biden said at VP Debate:

"With regard to abortion, I accept my Church’s position on abortion as a de fide doctrine. Life begins at conception. I accept that position in my personal life. But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians, and Muslims and and Jews…I just refuse to do that, unlike my friend here, the Congressman. I do not believe that we have a right to tell other people, women that they cannot control their body. It’s a decision between them and their doctor in my view, and the Supreme Court. And I’m not going to interfere with that."
VP Joe Biden 10-11-2012 Vice Presidential Debate

Sincerely,

Shauna Ramirez (Baptist)
Anchorage, Alaska
Bill Sr.
7 months ago
Pamela m... Congratulations on your conversion, from one who traveled the path home many years ago. I share your concerns and give you this view of the awareness you may be experience. As you walk toward the light the darkness becomes even more evident to you.
pamela m
7 months ago
The words of His Eminence Cardinal Dolan, are so eloquent and impassioned , yet his actions are so disheartening and confusing to me. As a convert to Catholicism , becoming Catholic by choice . after a long journey of studies and prayer ( as most converts do), the absolute Truth and beauty of this Church is something I cherish . Having experienced the pain and sorrow of abortion, and witnessing this sorrow in others that have been "victims" of this "culture of death"..I find it incomprehensible that Cardinal Dolan would extend any invitation to the current President ( Alfred E Smith ), who has diligently worked towards extending his platform of murder of the innocents, and continues to impose his twisted ideology on this nation and the world. All of the other women that I have encountered in my "spiritual healing" group are born Catholics, yet had no knowledge of the true teachings of the Catholic Church , much less the reasons behind those teachings. As we learn more and more, the truth is revealed, and our tears are tears of sorrow for what we were never taught, which left us completely vulnerable to the evil lies that abound in our culture today. How does the Catholic Church begin to correct all the "damage" of faulty teachings, while sharing dinner with the antithesis of our Faith ?.
Lindangel
7 months ago
I just cannot understand why Cardinal Dolan - just will not speak the real truth about Obama!!
Why-act nicey-nicey to him, Obama is evil and is a socialist-when you act nicey-nicey, you are showing you accept his evil agenda. Just like the Catholics and priests of Nazi Germany played nicey-nicey with Hitler and how did that work out for everyone? It should be required for all Catholics to go see the movie-"2016" and for all Catholics to read the book-"They Fired the First Shot". Wake up you pacifist Catholics-before it is too late!
Tom McGuire
7 months ago
I agree this is a fine, balanced article. It extends Catholic concerns beyond the limited perspective of many Catholics who limit the political discussion to abortion, gay marriage and threat to religious liberty.

This sentence of Cardinal Dolan needs emphasis: "I am concerned that our elections increasingly resemble reality TV shows rather than exercises in serious democratic conversation."

St Francis od Assisi is such a good model for today. He said: “No one is to be called an enemy, all are your benefactors, and no one does you harm. You have no enemy except yourselves.” Jesus said: "Love your enemies do good to those who persecute you." The democratic conversation would be so different if we walked in the footsteps of Jesus and encountered the other as a benefactor.
Bill Sr.
7 months ago
Thanks Deacon Fournier for this outstanding message from our dear Cardinal Dolan

"I am anxious......
that we're at times more willing to cut programs to help the sick, our elders, the hungry and homeless, than expenditures on Drone missiles."
May I add....
We have observed that no party or politician is "in favor of cutting" programs for the needy but we certainly can identify those directly responsible for the loss of American jobs leading to idle hands reaching for hand outs, wasteful spending in support of failed enterprises contributing to a call for higher taxes to maintain the safety nets for the poor, and the exercise of dominate legislative and executive pressure to demand using taxpayer money which could go for the less fortunate to go instead to Planned Parenthood as the largest provider of abortion in the country. And the leader of this agenda speaks proudly of his use of Drone missiles.
DathJ
7 months ago
Virgil Goode is the most moral of all the candidates- and unlike Romney, he doesn't have a long history of supporting the things he is against now. Virgil Goode 2012- Constitution Party
Timothy oragbe.t.
7 months ago
God is good,he make my family rejoy.an he take away our sine.glory bee to jesus.

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