Cardinal Dolan Plays ‘Trump’ Card on Pre-Born Babies

Lepanto Institute ^ | 8/4/15 | Michael Hichborn

[markomalley]

Since July 14 of this year, the Center for Medical Progress has released five under-cover videos revealing Planned Parenthood’s potentially illegal trafficking of the body parts of fetal children. Each video illustrated more and more of Planned Parenthood’s moral depravity as executives haggled over the price of tissues and organs harvested from aborted children. But even though Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s office is 2.6 miles from the National Headquarters of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral is 1.7 miles away, and despite the fact that Cardinal Dolan is the chairman-elect of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, he has said absolutely nothing about the scandal or the Senate vote which failed yesterday to ban Planned Parenthood from Federal Funding.

Instead of leading Catholics around the Country in driving a spear right through the heart of the nation’s largest retailer of abortion and harvested fetal organs, Cardinal Dolan chose to write an op-ed about one of 23 declared presidential candidates. And while abortion and same-sex “marriage” are at the top of social concerns in this country, especially for Catholics, Cardinal Dolan didn’t even go there. Rather, he focused his attention on the immigration policy of one presidential candidate.

Cardinal Dolan’s silence about one of the biggest shifts in momentum against Planned Parenthood is strange, to say the least. But this isn’t the first time Catholics have witnessed odd behavior from the Church’s Prince of New York City. Earlier this year, Cardinal Dolan acted as Grand Marshall of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York, allowing for the first-time-ever an openly homosexual organization to march in the parade. But allowing an openly homosexual organization to march in the parade was only part of the issue. In addition to this, the parade also banned a pro-life organization from marching, even though Catholic League president Bill Donahue was promised that a pro-life group would be allowed to march.

While controversy surrounding the St. Patrick’s Day Parade was swirling about, Cardinal Dolan gave an interview to Meet the Press, where he gave a hearty “Bravo” to NFL draft candidate Michael Sam, who had just “come out” about his homosexual lifestyle.

(video at link)

Going back just a little bit further, Cardinal Dolan invited the nation’s most anti-Catholic president in the history of the United States to the prominent Al Smith dinner, even though previous pro-abortion candidates had been barred by former prelates of New York.

(video at link)

This is a very difficult reality for Catholics to grasp. Shepherds carry a staff for two reasons: 1) keep the sheep from wandering off, and 2) smack-down wolves when they get close to the sheep. However, what is happening in New York looks an awful lot like the exact opposite. For the chairman-elect of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities to call out the immigration statements of one out of 23 contenders for the 2016 presidential election while completely ignoring Planned Parenthood’s trafficking in baby organs is a slap in the face to the entire pro-life movement. While we may never know why he is doing this, what is abundantly clear is that Cardinal Dolan needs our fasting and our prayers.

[sergeantdave]

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the church has been infiltrated by Satanic forces.

[kearnyirish2]

Yes, Francis should read the encyclicals of those popes that had to deal with the rise of socialism; then, as now, socialists had no use for the Church. As we’ve moved many charitable works from religious organizations to the state, few people today see any reason for the Church to be treated differently than any other business; in fact, given socialism’s unsatiable appetite for tax revenues, the Church is in their crosshairs.

Francis can ask those he champions for money; I have my own bills to pay, and he is only making that more difficult. He is pushing the Church even further into irrelevance...

[miss marmelstein]

Ghetto? These people can read everything we post on the caucuses. For two and a half weeks now it has been a joy to be on FR because of the disappearence of the hate threads. Did you not notice?

And perhaps you and I have a different opinion of what constitutes rude.

[pleasenotcalifornia]

Dolan slams Trump but plays nice with a fanatic pro abortion Governor Cuomo and is silent on Planned Parenthood. Dolan is worse than a disgrace and a stable full of horse dung is more honorable than him.

[markomalley]

For two and a half weeks now it has been a joy to be on FR because of the disappearence of the hate threads. Did you not notice?

Yes, I did notice. And it is a blessed relief.

We can't nor should we want to prevent all discussion. (At least IMHO).

We should forthrightly defend the faith where it is challenged and own it where necessary (for example, where a person has fallen gravely short of his God-imposed mandate).

And perhaps you and I have a different opinion of what constitutes rude.

Perhaps we do. You know the spammers around here (who post pre-canned responses repeatedly where they see fit). Those, to me, are the principal examples of rude. But I don't take all challenges as being rude.

Sorry that we, apparently, don't agree on this.

[caww]

...”This is a very difficult reality for Catholics to grasp”....

Yes it is.

[caww]

It’s not just in the catholic faith...where’s the outcry from ‘all’ church Leadership who name the name of Jesus Christ????

The lack of “sound” is deafening... There should be a mighty roar!

[sitetest]

Hireling.

[Pajamajan]

Arghhhhh! Isn't there some story about the floor of hell being paved with Cardinal's skulls? Or was it Bishops?

Still-I'm glad someone took the time to write about what many Catholics, (including myself), are really thinking.

Here is what Donald Trump has to say about Planned Parenthood.

[grey_whiskers]

That picture makes it looks like the Bamster is busy fondling Dolan’s pastries.

[2tipsea]

You must mean Dante’s Divine Comedy.

[2tipsea]

I post this merely “fyi” to clarify possible confusion about the Church hierarchy:

Each bishop is directly subject to the Holy Father.

Bishops are not subject to other bishops NOR to their National Conferences.

(CDW could be considered an exception but only on doctrinal clarifications and such.)

So Dolan, Poprocki or Wuerl each “report” directly to the Pope - not to the USCCB.

No one “reports” to the USCCB except it’s own employees.

Only the Pope can remove a bishop from his position.

Collegiality is the theory (some might say doctrine) that the Pope and the world’s bishops cooperate together to guide the Church. Some call this horizontality or synodality. It has been a big emphasis of the Francis pontificate and his close circle.

The jurisdiction of a bishop extends only to the people in his own diocese.

Dolan has authority over every human being (some might argue Catholics only, that is another issue) in the Archdiocese of New York and no other person, whether he is speaking from his Cathedral or a TV program with a worldwide audience. He can only speak for himself, he is not a “spokesman” of the Church.

Nor is the USCCB press spokesman a representative of the Church in any manner whatsoever, although I agree with you that the “perception” in the public is just the opposite.

Priests administer the sacraments and exercise their sacerdotal privileges within a given diocese under the authority of the local ordinary (bishop).

So if a priest travels from one diocese to other areas for some reason, he carries papers from his bishop verifying he is a priest in good standing, and he must also (theoretically) obtain permission to function officially in the dioceses he visits (including TV studios or radio shows that may emit from that diocese).

Religious priests (in an “order” like Jesuits, Benedictines, etc) are under the authority of their order, not the local bishop, but must still have papers, and the top man in the religious order (eg: the Jesuit Superior General) is usually answerable both ways vertically - that is he’s elected by his own priests, but subject to the Pope.

I hope this helps clarify a few technical angles that are frequently unclear. I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong.

[IrishBrigade]

He looks and acts like many Catholic church leaders to those watching from outside the RCC. Fairly typical in his religious position, it appears.

He appears and acts like many Protestant leaders as well to those watching from any reigious perspective...

But perhaps I’m wrong in asssuming you have some intelligent point to make...

[IrishBrigade]

For two and a half weeks now it has been a joy to be on FR because of the disappearence of the hate threads.

Hate threads have disappeared from the Religion Forum? Could have fooled me, based on a thread I saw just last night...

[miss marmelstein]

I must have missed it. They don’t seem to be turning up like they used to do. Are you getting bombarded with them?

[Resettozero]

He looks and acts like many Catholic church leaders to those watching from outside the RCC. Fairly typical in his religious position, it appears.

He appears and acts like many Protestant leaders as well to those watching from any reigious perspective...

Yes, that is my point: How current RCC average leadership looks to the general public and this leader (Dolan) in particular. I agree with you regarding "many Protestant leaders as well".

But perhaps I’m wrong in asssuming you have some intelligent point to make...

Pardon?

FWIW, I'm neither RC or Protestant in church membership. It is not required that a FReeper has to maintain RC or Protestant church membership to comment on an FR Religion Forum thread.

Regrets that my posts do not satisfy your level of acceptance in order to be "intelligent" posts. I'll work on it if you will also.

[Resettozero]

Hate threads have disappeared from the Religion Forum? Could have fooled me, based on a thread I saw just last night...

Would you be so kind as to provide a link to the FR thread you mentioned, please?

[piusv]

To think that many were hoping for him to be pope.