Cleansing Fire

Defending Truth and Tradition in the Roman Catholic Church

Is Cardinal Dolan Causing Scandal?

May 18th, 2013, Promulgated by Diane Harris

The questions to consider:  “Is Cardinal Dolan Causing Scandal?”  “Will Pope Francis do something about it?”

Tonight’s LifeSite News Article is entitled: 

“Card. Dolan ‘would not suggest’ pro-abort Gov. Cuomo not a Catholic ‘in good standing’: archdiocese”

That’s quite a mouthful of double talk.  Is the Cardinal trying to serve two masters?  When does a persistent “difference of opinion” on a matter of church teaching regarding intrinsic evil become scandalous?  When does a Cardinal become an enabler of evil by failing to address it, and become the proximate cause of the loss of a politician’s soul?  How many times must the Faithful, who are fighting valiantly for the cause of LIFE, be deserted by shepherds unwilling to stand with them?   Does anyone actually think that Cardinal Dolan believes his own words:  “Gov. Cuomo wants to work very closely with the pro-life movement” ?  That is certainly NOT the fruit of the Governor’s action so far.

untitledAnd while the Cardinal decries being surprised by Cuomo’s passing of gay marriage legislation, he seems to have made zero effort to call for its repeal.   In reading the linked article, it is difficult to find any redeeming moral value in refusing to carry out Canon Law precepts against a notorious underminer of  Catholicism.  The limp excuse that the Cardinal “has enjoyed working with Cuomo on issues like gun control and immigration”  is the essence of failure — it  papers over intrinsic evil with prudential judgment issues.  There is just no relevance between the grave issue of abortion, and Cardinal Dolan’s personal opinions which divide rather than unite the laity, and detract from what is most vital. 

I am reminded of Peter’s words in Acts 1:20   “His office let another take.”    I do wish Pope Francis would personally intervene to mitigate the damage being caused by the Cardinal of NYC.

Tags: , , ,

|

14 Responses to “Is Cardinal Dolan Causing Scandal?”

  1. Ben Anderson says:

    This is so sad on so many levels.

  2. Dominick Anthony Zarcone says:

    There should be no essential difference
    between what a preacher preaches on a subject
    at Holy Mass and what he says on the subject to
    the news media when interviewed.

    Honest Bishops who know their own courage
    to be Catholic to be less than heroic, at least
    to avoid appearance of duplicity, must learn
    to deny interviews.

    Simply invite the press to Mass if they must,
    where perhaps
    the less courageous at least might feel more
    safe to speak the truth about current issues
    in light of Jesus Christ, Sacred Tradition or
    implementing Canon Law.

    Imagine the powerful witness if Cardinal Dolan
    woke up one day and wondered why he says
    one thing to some and something else to others
    and decided enough political correctness, enough
    laughing with the powerful who promote moral
    corruption, enough fear of losing popularity and
    cultural acceptance.

    Imagine the wonderful witness unto shedding
    blood if necessary if Cardinal Dolan awoke one
    morning and courageously declared:
    Enough! As for me and my archdiocese WE
    WILL SERVE THE LORD.

  3. annonymouse says:

    DAZ, Bravo! I especially love the line “enough laughing with the powerful who promote moral corruption, enough fear of losing popularity and cultural acceptance.” Bingo!

    I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes, whether the Cardinal is making efforts to reach out to and bring into full communion our esteemed governor, but appearances are important, and the appearance the Cardinal conveys is certainly of one who “laughs with the powerful who promote moral corruption” (i.e. the Al Smith dinner) and there certainly appears to be a man a little drunk on his own popularity and cultural acceptance. I understand that he wants to convey an image of joy, an attitude we Christians are called to deeply have and exhibit, but his office calls him to prophecy, to first and foremost be a teacher of the Faith.

    And if there is one office in which our Lord and His Church would be well served by having a truly prophetic voice, it is the cathedra of the New York Archdiocese. The center of the world’s financial, media, marketing and cultural powers, that is where a truly prophetic voice, unattached to the adulation of “this world” and unafraid of consequence, is most urgently needed.

    As Diane says, the Cardinal cannot successfully serve two masters – he cannot be beholden to both Our Lord Jesus Christ and the forces of this world. If he is too proud and too drunk on his own popularity to see that, then perhaps the Lord and His Church would be best served if “another were to take his office.”

  4. militia says:

    If the expansion of abortion law goes through in NYS, the only person guiltier than Cuomo will be Cardinal Dolan.

  5. Abaccio says:

    Folks, let’s not forget the Bishop of Albany (and best buddy of Bp. Clark), Bp. Hubbard…

    Let’s also not forget the Cardinal-Archbishop of Washington,DC.

    The list of Bishops who could stand to learn a thing or two about courage doesn’t start and end in New York City.

  6. Diane Harris says:

    After doing this post on Cardinal Dolan, a friend sent me the following David Gray link comparing Cardinal Dolan to Charlie Brown. It is an amusing view into an unamusing situation: http://www.davidlgray.info/blog/2013/05/dolan-charlie-brown/#

  7. JLo says:

    We were all so hoping for another Cardinal O’Connor, courageous in all truth and manly. What we got was a cartoon Santa, shrewd within and jolly without. We just keep getting wronged. May our next DOR bishop reverse the NYS downward trend. +JMJ

  8. Jim says:

    Diane, Kudos to your link with the Charlie Brown football video. That, unfortunately, is Cardinal Dolan in a nutshell!

  9. Richard Thomas says:

    This is another sad example of Clerical leaders acccommodating the culture instead of challenging it or condemning it.

    So much scandal. He also sends messages to lulewarm and uneducated Catholics that perhaps it’s not too bad if you are pro choice, are in favor of gay marriage or accept birth control. So much evangelization to do and so few to do it.

  10. Richard Thomas says:

    This also speaks much about many, and hopefully not most Cathoplic bishops and cardinals being scgrills for the Democratic party.

    Look at what has come out ofthe USCCB and many of its committees. Social justice and immigration basically mirror the policies of the Democrats.

    So, taking the lead offered by the Cardinal of Washington DC, our capital, these party kissing bishops would NEVER do anything to anyone they are apparently allied with.

    This seems similar to the English reformation where so few priests and bishops stood their ground and instead caved in to the monarchy

  11. Diane Harris says:

    Don’t miss Michael Voris’ commentary on “being a Catholic in good standing” and how it is used to silence faithful Catholics, but not an “abortion-loving, sodomy-promoting fornicator.”
    http://www.churchmilitant.tv/daily/?today=2013-05-30

  12. annonymouse says:

    Voris has nailed it. The media’s favorite prince of the Church will do nothing to offend anyone. I guess Jeremiah, Ezekiel and The Lord Himself didn’t get that message, for their words offended many. Our nation, our Church, desperately need a prophetic voice sitting on the cathedra of St. Patrick’s in New York, and +Dolan, sweet and nice as he is, does not appear to be that voice.

  13. schm0e says:

    Dolan has said repeatedly, during the debates prior to the passing of Obamacare, that “the church has been advocating universal healthcare for over a century”. Note the quotation marks. The statement is, of course, subject to debate, and arguably untrue. What is not debatable is that he supported the passage of the law from his pulpit by circulating such statements among the parish bulletins in the Archdiocese of New York.

    He also said, when he came to town, that he is “a Yankees fan.” I wonder if told the people of Milwaukee that when he was there.

    Sorry, I have never been able to trust him. He’s too much of a politician, a “Kennedy Catholic” for me.

  14. militia says:

    I heard he is a St. Louis Cardinals fan.

Leave a Reply


Log in | Register

You must be logged in to post a comment.


-Return to main page-