By now it’s common knowledge that the Catholic Church does not select who marches or otherwise have an official role in running the parade. But March 17 is a feast day on the Christian calendar set aside for celebrating and commemorating the holy life of Saint Patrick. The parade begins with a Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the seat of the archbishop of New York and the mother church of an archdiocese comprising 368 parishes and 2.6 million Catholics. This year, in a vexing display of political naiveté, the parade will actually be led by New York archbishop Timothy Cardinal Dolan, recent former president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Suffice to say it’s a very Catholic parade. But for decades, New York’s Catholic leaders—including John Cardinal O’Connor and Edward Cardinal Egan—implored the faithful to stand tall and support the parade committee’s unpopular policy on the grounds that the parade is, and should remain, a non-political celebration of the Irish Catholic experience in New York. Hence, no pro-life banners, no pro-gay banners, no 9/11 truther banners, no anti-globalization banners—none of that. Now, apparently, they’ve changed their minds.
PFL
It’s all about money$ The convenient Catholic leaders look the other way when their cash cow is running dry.
As a Catholic, I find this to be shameful.