Posted on 03/04/2012 5:11:38 AM PST by NYer
Timothy Cardinal Dolan ramped up the rhetoric in his battle with the White House over contraception policy yesterday — and promised some political payback.
“Don’t impose your teaching upon us and make us do as a church what we find unconscionable to do!” the freshly minted prince of the church told a roaring crowd of 1,000 at Holy Trinity Diocesan HS in Hicksville, LI, referring to a government plan to mandate that religious institutions provide free contraception to workers.
“The Health and Human Services fight is a freedom-of-religion battle. It is not about contraception. It is not about women’s health,” Dolan said.
“No, we are talking about an unwarranted, unprecedented, radical intrusion into the interior life of, integrity of a church’s ability to teach, serve and sanctify on its own.”
In a blistering attack interlaced with humor, Dolan never mentioned President Obama by name — only his policies. And the cardinal promised to put the political muscle of 78 million American Catholics to work against the enemies of free religion.
“President Johnson said, as an American, I look to the church — I look to religion as a beehive. If you leave them alone, they’re going to give you tons of their honey. But if you stick your head in there, you’re going to get stung bad.”
The cardinal, dressed in black and wearing his priestly collar, warned that the sting may come in the voting booth.
“I’d recommend starting voter-registration drives at our parishes. Not only is it going to help churches, it is going to help our American republic. More voters the better.”
And he said he’s confident he’s not alone in the fight.
“We look up and see people who share our values and our vision,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
Voter registration at the parish ... :-)
He nailed it. This is the real issue. Don't tread on me!
Somewhere Cardinal O'Connor is smiling.
I salute this man and his bold response to the criminals in our government. My only question is whether the Cardinal can truly raise 78 million faithful in the Catholic faith. Far too many who think they are Catholic and flatly deny doctrine and practice. Those folks won’t stand.
Democrats are betting that Catholic women feel more affinity with each other than they do to the church. That’s where the dividing line is being drawn.
You can be sure Axelrod focus tested the heck out of this before they embarked on this strategy and learned that it was worth a bet - at least 50/50.
What Axelrod can’t predict is whether women’s minds and hearts might be changed since the initial focus groups were conducted. If they learn this is the case, they will quietly drop this issue with its mandate, and move on to some other wedge issue.
If they still think this is a winning issue for them, they will ramp up the hysteria. If they don’t, it will quietly go away.
In either case, it’s clear they picked a fight with people who are not backing down.
But an angry Irishman is a close second. :-)
Go get 'em, Eminence!
Catholics are behind much of the attack on Catholic beliefs. The Kennedy's, Pelosi, John Kerry, Vice President Joe Biden.
Why haveb't these people been ex-communicated?
Id recommend starting voter-registration drives at our parishes. Not only is it going to help churches, it is going to help our American republic. More voters the better.
I thought only Black Churches were allowed to do that.
Are we talking about a revival in the church? I am as they say a “fallen away Catholic”, due in part because of the Churches lack of emphasis on defending the unborn.
From what I’ve observed about the Catholic church is that they will talk tough but in the end they will cry and cave.
Why haven’t these people been ex-communicated?
The Pope does not have an email account?
It's Halftime in America U.S. Catholics: GET YOUR IRISH UP!
I am not a Catholic but I really like this new Cardinal.
Comparing the Catholic Church (Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Dolan, et. al.) to the CINOs (Kennedy, Pelosi ...) is the epitomy of ignorance. Especially on this thread where the stance of the Catholic Church has been so forthrightly proclaimed by the head of the US Catholic Bishops!
It’s about frickin time the Catholic church was heard on this issue....
I’m always amazed at the lack of engagement on abortion the church has shown considering the pounding they took from the media over the child abuse cases.
I’d like them to invest serious capital in taking on this issue - they have an army of willing souls to help them.
-——and flatly deny doctrine and practice——
That denial is evolution of the American Church. The question boils down to can the leadership actually control the congregants. Will they continue to remain in the congregation but actually act as they please or in some manner revert to the old ways.
My guess is they will follow the leadership in theory but act as they please in practice
Speaking of cave ... and crawling back into it ....
This is an easy issue to win on....
Is there anyone who honestly thinks abortion is ok ?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.