Cardinal Dolan says "Bravo!" (to Gay Football Player Michael Sam)

Rorate Caeli ^

[ClaytonP]

"Who am I to judge?" makes a triumphant entry in the American subset of the College of Cardinals, in an interview granted to the highest-rated political debate program on US television, to be broadcast tomorrow:

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York praised University of Missouri football star Michael Sam for coming out as gay, saying he would not judge the athlete for his sexual orientation. "Good for him," Dolan said in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" airing Sunday.

"I would have no sense of judgment on him," Dolan continued. "God bless ya. I don't think, look, the same Bible that tells us, that teaches us well about the virtues of chastity and the virtue of fidelity and marriage also tells us not to judge people. So I would say, 'Bravo.'" [Source]

OK, then. Naturally, the Cardinal did not have to say anything at all regarding a specific individual, even if asked. But silence and discretion are one thing, explicitly refusing moral discernment is another, and raising such refusal to the status of "good" and "bravo" is quite noteworthy for a Prince of the Church, because it is in itself a moral judgment, a positive moral judgment.

It is quite easy to see that no moral debate in which the Catholic Church takes part, of any kind and on any level, can ever anymore advance even one inch if the parameters become simply an isolated reading of "not judging" - and much less if "not judging" is elevated to the positive judgment of "good" and "bravo." Politicians quote a pontiff when casting immoral votes, and what can the Church say, from now on, on any legal matter (that presupposes a moral order)? It can always be used to stop any social debate. What can poor pastors and vicars say regarding any sin, even personally to a parishioner, when the isolated presentation of "no sense of judgment" becomes normative? Or even regarding, for instance, an inclination that our judgmental Catechism of the Catholic Church defines as "objectively disordered" (regardless of the practice or not of the "intrinsically disordered" acts attached to it)?

And if you do not like this post, who are you to judge us?...

[Op-ed update: Cardinal Dolan, in this age, it is keeping the faith that deserves a "Bravo".] 

[JT Hatter]

There is no such thing as moral depravity any more.

[Farmer Dean]

“Who am I to judge?”
If a Cardinal in the Catholic church doesn’t feel qualified to say what is sin,what is he doing in that position of authority?

[mothball]

My King grieves.

[Maelstorm]

If he is good at football I don’t care but see it isn’t enough that he is good at football. He must be praised for his lifestyle as if that is something worth glorifying when it is not. Its not a matter of ‘judging’ to point out the flaw of homosexuality anymore than it is judging to point out the health dangers of smoking. I’ve worked with people who were gay. I’ve known people who have went from living a gay lifestyle to a heterosexual and back again and those that have moved to exclusively heterosexual and vice versa. Human beings are flawed, we have desires that make us want to do things that are not good for us, not smart, and depraved. My problem is that this “do not judge” crap is being translated into license and prideful sin which is entirely contrary to Christianity at its core.

[workerbee]

Dolan is an utter disgrace.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Well, if this reasoning applies across the board, then there is no way to criticize any sinful behavior. Thus, there is no sinful behavior at all, because who is he to judge???

What am I missing here? If clergy aren’t able or willing to say anything about sin anymore, then where are we as a culture????

Or are we saying that homosexuality is special, and since homosexuality is special and fabulous, we won’t say anything about that sin????????

Is the Cardinal afraid of being called homophobic by homosexual activists?????

yinf

[allendale]

Exactly the point. If you have a position of leadership and purport to be a teacher and leader, making moral judgments is the job. This “Who am I to judge” business is just a politically correct way to avoid unpleasant duties and appear popular. Frankly id Cardinal Dolan and the Church leadership denies reality, refuse to purge homosexuals from the priesthood, then the vile molestation of young boys by depraved , decadent homosexual priests will continue. The Church and the faithful will suffer due to the cowardly behavior of these “leaders”.

[ConorMacNessa]

WTF? Is that what he actually said? I'm trying to find the transcript of the interview and will withhold "judgment' until I can find it.



"Dia shábháil ar fad anseo!"

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Viennacon]

Watch them fold like deck chairs

[EBH]

Cardinal Dolan just made a huge mistake!

The Bible says we are not to judge...OK fine let’s go there Cardinal Dolan.

Judging means to pass approval or disapproval, by saying “bravo,” you passed judgment.

Good job ...you just stepped into the temptation and snare.

[Viennacon]

Presumably one could look at the government forcing the Church to provide contraception and say ‘Who am I to judge?’

[irishjuggler]

Sadly, too many of our bishops, archbishops and cardinals would rather be loved by the world than tell the truth.

[SoFloFreeper]

Wow. Sounds like a pro-sodomy statement...from a "leader" of the Roman Catholic church.

Pretty sad.

[MinuteGal]

HISTORIC AND NOTABLE QUOTES

"Don't fire til you see the whites of their eyes!"
"Remember the Alamo"
"Peace in our time"
"Who am I to judge?"
"What difference does it make at this point?"

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

Dolan.....the same guy who is “all in” for amnesty and opposed to the Second Amendment. Disgusting.

[ConorMacNessa]

Is this the passage to which he refers?

Gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 7:

"Judge not, that you may not be judged,
2 For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye?
4 Or how sayest thou to thy brother: Let me cast the mote out of thy eye; and behold a beam is in thy own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

(Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition)

Not exactly saying not to judge, IMO. I am judged every day, as are all. We are called to bear witness to the Truth of God, not to facilitate the spread of Evil.

America demands Justice for the Fallen of Benghazi!

O stranger, tell the Lacedaemonians that we lie here, obedient to their command.

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[jonrick46]

The Catholic priesthood is so intrenched in homosexuality, it is not surprising to read Dolan’s remark. This must be a calculated effort to condition the Catholic laity for the great coming out of the homo priests.

Matthew’s 23:27-28 is appropriate at this time:

27“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

[billhilly]

Isn’t there enough evidence of Priests molesting alter boys?

[aquila48]

Isn’t cheering “Bravo! “ being judgemental?