UPDATE: Cardinal Dolan to pray at Democratic convention. Sr. Simone Campbell to address convention.
Surprise.
Here’s the full statement from spokesman Joseph Zwilling (not yet available on the archdiocese’s website):
Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, has accepted an invitation to deliver the closing prayer at next week’s Democratic National Convention. As was previously announced, he will also be offering the closing prayer at the Republican Convention on Thursday of this week.
It was made clear to the Democratic Convention organizers, as it was to the Republicans, that the Cardinal was coming solely as a pastor, only to pray, not to endorse any party, platform, or candidate. The Cardinal consulted Bishop Peter Jugis of the Diocese of Charlotte, who gave the Cardinal his consent to take part in the convention that will be taking place in his diocese.
UPDATE: Sr. Simone Campbell, executive director of the social-justice group NETWORK, will address the convention on the evening of Wednesday, September 5 (she won’t be offering a public prayer). “We’re thrilled that Cardinal Dolan will be there too,” NETWORK Communications Coordinator Stephanie Niedringhaus said.
Does this strike anyone else as “Farce?”
To Raymond Arroyo: New Breaking News!
This must be very upsetting for the Republican Party. (Restrain yourselves, Karl Anderson and Mary Ann Glendon. Today is not a day for weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is the feast of St. Augustine.)
First, Hurricane Isaac, now, the Democrats undercutting their prize catch of Cardinal Dolan at their convention. (Mitt Romney to Raymond Arroyo: “Oh by the way, Cardinal Dolan will give the Benediction after my acceptance speech.”)
I suspect that Cardinal Dolan realizes how he can be used for political party purposes. Now, what is he going to do about his picture on the Values Voters Summit website?
Grant:
You were not too keen on an invitation to Cardinal Dolan at the Democratic Party Convention in previous posts:
“It would be politically foolish for the DNC to make any attempts at counterprogramming.”
“Because it would be an adolescent response. Why should the DNC take its cues from the RNC?”
I am interested if you have second thoughts.
I always thought it would be a good idea. It would be a chance to see if Cardinal is really non-partisan, as he says. It would also put to rest that the charge that the Democrats had snubbed him.
Why did you use a different headline than the one David Gibson used? “Card. Dolan to pray at Dem. convention” compared to “Card. Dolan to bless Rep. convention.” I suspect there will be plenty of people “praying at” both conventions (although the recent Pew survey seems to show a higher % of rebublicans than democrats view prayer as important in their lives), but Dolan appears to be offering a benediction at the close of each convention, so it seems more accurate to say that he will be “blessing” both of them.
BTW, do you think his reception amongst the audience will be the same at each?
Helen: I’m surprised by this. But by “counterprogramming” I did not mean also inviting Cardinal Dolan. I meant extending an invitation to a nun to pray instead of a bishop, prolonging the tired nuns-vs.-bishops story line. I’m hearing rumors that a prominent woman religious will have a role at the DNC, but can’t confirm it yet. [UPDATE: I can confirm it now; see update.] I don’t disapprove of the both/and approach.
In the New York Daily News of 8.28.2012, I found this opinion piece by Brian O’Dwyer rather sensible:
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/a-prayer-tampa-endorsement-article-1.1145590
—
Mr. O’Dwyer, a lawyer, is Chair of the Executive Board of the Emerald Isle Immigration Center.
—
All four of my grandparents were either born here before 1900 or they or their parents became naturalized citizens before 1900. I wish the steps they took towards citizenship would be a model for the process in 2012.
Joe McMahon
Rabbi Soloveichik is anti-contraception, like Dolan, Mitt, Commonweal, Akin, et al.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/28/nyregion/new-york-rabbi-to-give-opening-prayer-at-gop-convention.html?_r=1
“Each of the convention’s three days will be opened and closed with a blessing by a cleric: while they are all conservative, they represent a variety of faiths, to extend the party’s reputation beyond white and Protestant. Also delivering prayers will be a Hispanic evangelical Christian, a Sikh, a Greek Orthodox archbishop and two Mormon leaders.”
(Are any of them women?)
“This must be very upsetting for the Republican Party. (Restrain yourselves, Karl Anderson and Mary Ann Glendon. Today is not a day for weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is the feast of St. Augustine.)
First, Hurricane Isaac, now, the Democrats undercutting their prize catch of Cardinal Dolan at their convention. (Mitt Romney to Raymond Arroyo: “Oh by the way, Cardinal Dolan will give the Benediction after my acceptance speech.”)”
What a discouraging, partisan response. This is a scalping, and nothing more? The DNC wins? Yes, Dolan is being used by both sides, and I’m sure he knows it. So is everyone else, being used. Played, actually. A nation of suckers.
I have some misgivings on this offer to give Dolan a big microphone at the DNC.
What will the Dems do if Dolan takes his liberties and starts with a diatribe on all things Obama? You can’t wrestle a microphone away and hustle a cardinal off the stage on live TV.
I can’t imagine that Dolan has gotten over the rebuff of the ACA covering contraceptive health care for women. Besides, the hierarchs have thrown around a lot of money in the campaign to support Republicans, and all things anti-women for that matter.
It could turn out to be like using the “prayers of the faithful” as a platform to advance one’s peculiar political agenda.
Giving Simone Campbell some prime time more than enough overshadows Dolan’s turn at Tampa. For sure, most Catholics like their Sisters way much more than they do the hierarchs.
I doubt Dolan will overstep his bounds, but this is not good for the Democratic Party, or for the Church. this maneuver simply allows Dolan to appear non-partisan, as it were above it all. we all know this is disingenuous.
Amazing; some of the same folks who do not think Dolan should talk at the R-convention, likewise do not want him to talk at the D-convention either.
Maybe they just do not want him to speak publically at all? Maybe they think Dolan and other clerics should be pushed into the church buildings proper, only to be heard from by parishioners who attend mass?
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2012/08/republican-national-convention-democrat-cardinal-dolan/1
John,
“we all know this is disingenuous.” Do we? Did not St. Ignatius instruct us to assume the best intentions of others?
AA
This, coupled with Cardinal Dolan’s invitation to Obama to attend the Al Smith Dinner, ought to put an end to the “bishops are Republican partisans” argument, but it won’t, mostly because those pushing that argument are Democratic partisans and are offended by anyone who isn’t a Democratic partisan.
“I doubt Dolan will overstep his bounds, but this is not good for the Democratic Party, or for the Church. this maneuver simply allows Dolan to appear non-partisan, as it were above it all. we all know this is disingenuous.”
I hope he is a partisan for the Gospel, and preaches it both in and out of season. If that creates a squirm moment or two for Democrats, that sounds more like their problem than his.
I hope he is a partisan for the Gospel, and preaches it both in and out of season. If that creates a squirm moment or two for Democrats, that sounds more like their problem than his.
if we have seen him report the USCCB denunciation of the Ryan budget at the Republican Convention then I don’t think we should complain if he reports the USCCB denunciation of the HHS Mandate at the Democratic Convention.
Will he do either or both of those? Aye, there’s he rub.
I suspect Cardinal Mahony’s blessing at the 2000 DNC might be a model. This is a prayer, not a debate, and he could cite the church’s prayers and concerns across the board and manage to offend, er, challenge, both parties. That would be my hope.
Whether he should appear at these things or not is interesting. Perhaps better to have one consistent figure, rather than leave it to the personalities of just the local ordinary, who might be more hostile or sympatehtic to the visiting party than the ordinary for the other convention?
Interesting, in 2008, Chaput said he was not invited to the Dems convention in Denver, and Archbp Nienstedt — no lily-livered liberal — apparently declined McCain’s invitation to pray at the RNC in Minneapolis. Nienstedt was apparently not accused of snubbing the GOP.
Was it better no bishop took part? I dunno.
Both conventions will bear striking resemblances to the old vaudeville shows. Vaudeville shows would not have been improved by a prelate’s prayer, much less a traveling prelate. So, still “Farce.”
The invitation to Sr. Campbell, on the other hand, should improve the show. Almost certainly, a better use of convention time than most of the other speakers will be. She is much more likely to engender serious discussion.
My reaction is the same as it was when the cardinal archbishop of New York signed on for the Tampa gig. Charlotte has a perfectly good bishop, Peter Jugis. I am not familiar with him, as I am with Bishop Lynch of St. Petersburg-Tampa, but I am sure he can do canonically and theologically any praying the cardinal archbishop of New York can offer to either party. This scramble for the cardinal archbishop of New York reminds me of the legendary medal with the inscription, “I am an important Catholic. In case of emergency, call a monsignor.” In this case, the parties act as if they are so blasted important that only a cardinal archbishop, and a telegenic one at that, is qualified to grace their august stages. Pshaw.
(Are any of them women?)
Surely, you jest! This is the part of Col 3:18 and 1 Pet 3:1.
But they can prepare and serve the barbeque for their men!
“Maybe they just do not want him to speak publically at all?”
He should emulate Mt 6:5 when it cometh to politics.
However, you slice it a lot of politics going on. After Sr. Simone praise HHS will Dolan pray for her straying soul at the closing?
Clamato:
Re your comment about my comment: “What a discouraging, partisan response.”
My motivation was more a protest than a partisan response.
For what it is worth, my comment may discourage you but here is what discourages me:
The pandering of the Republican Party for the Catholic vote, e.g.,
- Romney introducing his running mate as a “faithful Catholic”. Will Romney be introduced this week at the Convention as a faithful Mormon? I don’t think so.
- The Romney ad picturing John Paul II and the using the words of JP II, “Be not afraid.”
In addition, both Mary Ann Glendon and Carl Anderson have been prominent in the Republican Party and are members of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. Both are highly partisan. Mary Ann Glendon has made radio spots for Romney during the Republican primary, saying that he is the most pro-life candidate. (How about that Santorum?)
There has been consistent nasty, anti-Obama rhetoric on EWTN. I heard a priest on EWTN refer to our president as a narcissist. What does that have to do with spreading the Eternal Word?
Raymond Arroyo, thinking that he was a stand-up comedian, made a snide dig about the Obama daughters around the time of the 2008 election. That incident and his obsequious interviews with Republican economic policy advocates have caused me to question his credibility.
“I heard a priest on EWTN refer to our president as a narcissist.”
Now THAT was hilarious! EWTN = Egos With Theological Nonsense! Or should that be Nunsense?
If I see “American Pope” written again… Dolan should be archbishop of New York and forget the rest. Will there be anything God would listen to in these benedictions?
Would someone who knows how to do it please post a link to Fr. James Martin’s blog today at the America blogsite? He says that he, instead of Cardinal Dolan and Sr. Simone, ought to pray at the two national conventions. As he says, he prays regularly, he knows how to say short prayers, he could work in a bit of Spanish, he’s familiar with the niceties of ecumenicism, etc. etc.
Would that I were so bright!
Bernard. It is easy to do:
Go to the article’s URL. Highlight it. Then do a “copy” from there and a “paste” here:
http://www.americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm?blog_id=2&entry_id=5322
Voila!
I cardinal virtue of Fr. Martin’s piece is his shout-out to Og, the king of Bashan.
Thanks, Jim McCrea. I’ll try your instructions, but will wait for something that’s of no significance, since I’m very likely to botch it.
This is off topic, but if anybody missed David Brooks article on Mitt, do check it out. Hilariois. Who’d have thought he could even be mildly funny! I particularly like Mitt’s cars going up the stairs :-)
Here is the video of Cardinal Dolan’s prayer at the RNC. It is longer than the official text published on he Archdiocesan website.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6-SaIhpqeM&feature=youtube_gdata_player