Comments on: Cardinal Dolan…Pope?

By: abadilla

abadilla — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:55:00 +0000

I never read about the “civil discourse.” Did I miss something?

What is left is simple. A New York Cardinal has the Al Smith with Catholics and other non-Catholics who respect our faith. Dinners are not meant to be opportunities for dialogues or for trying to convert anybody.

No one here has deny prayers for either the Cardinal or the President. As a matter of fact, every time there is a Mass or liturgy we pray for the President, don’t we?

“instruct the ignorant, council the doubtful, and admonish sinners”
Again, I don’t think the Cardinal exercised the spiritual works of mercy on the President. The news transmitted a jovial Cardinal and a President having fun while the butchery of the unborn went on.
Oh yes, Dolan “decries” this or that, but does he ever threatened to excommunicate or at least deny Holy Communion as a consequence of recalcitrant ant-Catholic behaviors from Catholic politicians? NO! He can “decry” the situation all he wants as the unborn children continue to be butchered and so-called Catholics challenged his authority and the authority of the Church in every major front. I’m not impressed as I’m not impressed with my own Archbishop in this city of Angels either.
How many times do you think you have to write to Janet and I to convince us of the backbone of the Cardinal?
Now, am I impressed with Chaput, Burke, Cordileone, Paprocki, DiNardo, Finn and the retired bishop Bruskewitz? Yes! Do I care for my own Archbishop and Dolan? No, but I pray for them nevertheless!

By: BenM

BenM — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:39:00 +0000

So, if one Cardinal tried civil discourse, and stands by civil disobedience to change the mind of the “worse enemy Catholicism has had in this country”, and that has failed, and another tried snubbing the enemies of his time from our dinners in order to, I guess, shame them into submission (?) and that has also failed, what is left?
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Oh, that’s right. Love our enemies. Pray for those who persecute us. So, let’s love him into submission, and keep him ever in our prayers. Not praying that he might perish or be cast down, but pray for him, as a person. Our president, too, is a person created in the image and likeness of God. He has inherent dignity, as such, and is thus deserving of our love and respect.
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We can attempt in any way we can think to try to “instruct the ignorant, council the doubtful, and admonish sinners” but we also need to “bear wrongs patiently and forgive offenses willingly.” And keeping in mind the mothers and children involved in these crimes, we will “comfort the afflicted and pray for the living and the dead.”
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Oh, and Dolan HAS spoken out, numerous times, against the abortion and contraceptive policies of Cuomo. Cuomo is not under any illusion that he is operating with the blessings of the church or his Cardinal Archbishop in these matters.

By: abadilla

abadilla — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:55:00 +0000

Don’t worry, you can keep him in New York!

By: abadilla

abadilla — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:53:00 +0000

Obama does not give any credit to Dolan’s words in any case, whether the Cardinal condemns him or not. He now knows the head of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops can’t possibly be taken seriously as the battle between the forces of good and evil continue to fight one another in this country.

“He opened the President’s mind…” Are you serious? Have you read the papers and the INTERNET lately. The man in the White House is the worse enemy Catholicism has had in this country and you think jovial Dolan opened his mind. Really?
And yes, Cardinal Dolan spoke out lately about how much he supports the President on gun control. Nice move on his part, at the same time that Cuomo, a “Catholic” continues to distribute contraceptives in New York and welcomes abortions all over the place.

By: abadilla

abadilla — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:44:00 +0000

“That’s my point. Go to supper to get their attention, and once you have it, teach.”

True, but the Cardinal taught nothing with words but with his invitation he said it all and Obama did not miss the message. Obama is a first-class manipulator.

“Cardinal Dolan caused no scandal by attending the same dinner as President Obama.”
If he caused no scandal among us, why are we having this converstion? Obvioulsy he did cause scandal. It was no ordinary dinner, it was a dinner sponsored by a Catholic Cardinal inviting the man who continues to support the butchery of the unborn. That very day, I am sure thousands of unborn babies were butchered as the Cardinal had a jovial dinner with the enemy.

By: abadilla

abadilla — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:38:00 +0000

Are you accusing Janet and I of entertaining evil thoughts simply because we disagree with the actions of a Cardinal?

By: abadilla

abadilla — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:36:00 +0000

BenM, get off your high moral horse. I know the Scriptures and because you interpret them differently from Janet and me, that doesn’t mean we are wrong.
You have your reasons for believing the Cardinal did the right thing. Janet and I and others also have reasons for believing he blew it. Now, two of us can’t be right, but we can agree to disagree.

By: abadilla

abadilla — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:33:00 +0000

“in my opinion, he caused scandal not only to the Catholic faithful but to Obama himself by not treating Obama’s sinful stances with the gravity and yes, sterness for which they cried out.”
I fully agree with your statement. Blessed Mother Teresa sat at breakfast with the Clintons but pointedly reminded them of the “butchery” of the unborn. The Clintons did not converst to a pro-life message, but Mother showed principle and courage.

By: abadilla

abadilla — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:30:00 +0000

“I believe Jesus clearly ate with sinners as a means of converting them, e.g. Zacchaeus – Jesus invited Himself to his home in order to convert him.”
I don’t know if that were the intention of the Cardinal but obviously if that was his intention, it didn’t work and the Prince of the Church ended up compromising himself with Catholics like me.

By: abadilla

abadilla — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 04:23:00 +0000

Correct. Mr. Clinton has not changed one bit but no one can accuse O’Connor of not exemplifying principle.
Yes, Cardinal Dolan can talk all he wants about civil disobedience but he already compromised himself by eating and saying jokes with the avowed enemy of Catholicism in this country. Obviously his lack of principle did not affect you and many Catholics, but it affected many of us.
I don’t know how you interpret the man as “strong.” I don’t see that part of him. What I see is a jovial Cardinal who moves very well among the press and the lights of New York.
No, my main argument is that one cannot call Catholics to defend against religious persecution and then sit with the persecutor. Conversion is up to God whether the Cardinal is present on a dinner or not. Conversion can take place with our prayers.
As far as St. Peter goes, he was willing to die for the faith and so many of the first popes and martyrs of the Church were also willing to die for the faith. Please, don’t compare them to this man we are talking about who was not being martyred by sticking to principle, but he didn’t.
I just heard John Allen Jr, and he said Cardinal Dolan is very popular indeed but he is a long shot to becoming Pope and I hope so. However, if the College of Cardinals chooses him and the Holy Spirit chooses him, who am I to oppose his election?