{"id":826,"date":"2012-08-15T23:04:00","date_gmt":"2012-08-15T23:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/cardinal-dolan-obama-invite-is-not-an-award-or-platform\/"},"modified":"2012-08-15T23:04:00","modified_gmt":"2012-08-15T23:04:00","slug":"cardinal-dolan-obama-invite-is-not-an-award-or-platform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/08\/cardinal-dolan-obama-invite-is-not-an-award-or-platform\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardinal Dolan: Obama invite is not an award or platform"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

New York City, N.Y., Aug 15, 2012 \/ 05:04 pm (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York defended his decision to invite President Barack Obama to a traditional fundraising dinner as being an effort to engage, not endorse, the president.<\/p>\n

\tCardinal Dolan explained that \u201can invitation to the Al Smith Dinner is not an award, or the provision of a platform to expound views at odds with the Church.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tRather, he said, the dinner is \u201can occasion of conversation,\u201d designed to gather people together for an \u201cevening of friendship, civility, and patriotism, to help those in need, not to endorse either candidate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIn an Aug. 14 blog post on the Archdiocese of New York website, the cardinal responded to criticism over his invitation of Obama to the upcoming Al Smith foundation fundraiser.<\/p>\n

\tCardinal Dolan followed a decades-old election year custom of inviting both the Democratic and Republican candidates to the comedy-oriented fundraiser and reported that both Obama and GOP contender Mitt Romney had agreed to attend.
\n\t\u00a0 \u00a0
\n\tNews of the invitation has led to questions and complaints from Catholics who believe that it may undermine the bishops\u2019 work to defend religious liberty from the threats posed by the current administration.<\/p>\n

\tConcerns over religious freedom have grown immensely due to a federal mandate issued by the Obama administration to require employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and early abortion-inducing drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences.<\/p>\n

\tBishops from every diocese in the country have spoken out against the mandate, and numerous dioceses have joined with Catholic colleges, businesses and charitable organizations in filing lawsuits challenging the regulation.<\/p>\n

\tThe president\u2019s support for abortion and \u201cgay marriage\u201d also clash with Church teaching and have drawn criticism from Church leaders.<\/p>\n

\tAcknowledging the demands of \u201cfaithful citizenship\u201d as both a Catholic and an American, Cardinal Dolan said that the Al Smith Dinner has been an example of \u201ccivility in political life\u201d for nearly seven decades.<\/p>\n

\tThe dinner marks \u201cthe only time outside of the presidential debates that the two presidential candidates come together,\u201d he said, and the result is \u201can evening of positive, upbeat, patriotic, enjoyable civil discourse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tNamed after Governor Al Smith, who became the first Catholic nominated as a presidential candidate in 1928, the dinner raises money to support the needs of mothers and their babies, including their unborn children, he added.<\/p>\n

\tCardinal Dolan noted the unity and persistence of the bishops\u2019 objections to the mandate and other problematic policies. He promised that the invitation does not indicate \u201ca slackening in our vigorous promotion\u201d of Catholic values.<\/p>\n

\tThe cardinal apologized if his actions had given scandal, as some of his critics have claimed, and reiterated that neither candidate\u2019s presence at the dinner is an endorsement. He said that the invitation of Obama was \u201ca case of prudential judgment\u201d based on Catholic principles.<\/p>\n

\tChurch teaching, as expressed in the Second Vatican Council, is that the Church should have a posture of \u201cengagement and dialogue\u201d with the \u201cculture, society, and government,\u201d he said. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\tHe explained that it is better to open the doors of dialogue than to close off those with whom you disagree, pointing to the gracious way in which Pope Benedict XVI received President Obama for a visit.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cAnd, in the current climate, we bishops have maintained that we are open to dialogue with the administration to try and resolve our differences,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat message would I send if I refused to meet with the President?\u201d<\/p>\n

\tCardinal Dolan requested that the faithful \u2013 whether they agree or disagree with his decision \u2013 pray for him and his fellow bishops as they work to make difficult choices.
\n\t\u00a0
\n\tRecalling that Christ was criticized for dining with those considered sinners, he observed that \u201cif I only sat down with people who agreed with me, and I with them, or with those who were saints, I\u2019d be taking all my meals alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New York City, N.Y., Aug 15, 2012 \/ 05:04 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York defended his decision to invite President Barack Obama to a traditional fundraising dinner as being an effort to engage, not endorse, the president.<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\nCardinal Dolan: Obama invite is not an award or platform<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"New York City, N.Y., Aug 15, 2012 \/ 05:04 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- Cardinal Timothy M. 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