|
Obama refuses convention benediction by Cardinal Dolan
President Obama turned down a chance to have Timothy Cardinal Dolan deliver a prayer at the Democratic National Convention after Dolan told Democrats he would be "grateful" to deliver a blessing in Charlotte.Dolan -- considered the top Catholic official in the nation, as head of the Archdiocese of New York and president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops -- tipped off Democrats a few weeks ago that he had agreed to deliver the prime-time benediction at the Republican convention in Tampa next week, Dolan's spokesman Joseph Zwilling told The Post. "He wanted to make sure that they knew that this was not a partisan act on his part and that he would be just as happy and grateful to accept an invitation from the Democrats as he would to have received one from the Republicans," said Zwilling. "He has not been contacted by them" since, he added. A senior Obama campaign official said yesterday that the Democrats would have a "high-ranking" Catholic at the convention, but indicated the arrangements weren't yet final. Obama and Dolan have clashed publicly over a health-care law requiring employers to provide abortion coverage. Dolan and other groups filed suit against the rule, claiming it forces church-related groups to act against their conscience. Still, Dolan invited both Obama and Mitt Romney to his annual Alfred E. Smith dinner in New York City in October. "The Republicans are smart enough to get the 'pope of America,' and the Democrats are stupid enough not to invite him," said Bill Donohue, of the Catholic League, who said he spoke with Dolan yesterday. Posted by: lotp 2012-08-25 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=350749 |