7th Rangers: The archbishop of New York keeps religious freedom in the news while modeling Christian charity at the Al Smith Dinner by KATHRYN JEAN LOPEZ
Fighting Seventh
The Fighting Rangers On War, Politics and Burning Issues
Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
The archbishop of New York keeps religious freedom in the news while modeling Christian charity at the Al Smith Dinner by KATHRYN JEAN LOPEZ
Sunday, October 21, 2012
NEW YORK ā āOur two candidates claim that both your parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, are ābig tents,ā containing extraordinarily diverse, even contrary, opposite people and groups,ā Cardinal Timothy Dolan noted Oct. 18 at the Al Smith Dinner. āWell, you donāt have a thing over the Catholic Church. We got both Biden and Ryan!ā Dolan continued. The 67th annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, raising money for Catholic charities, enjoyed its most successful year, with 1,640 people in attendance, at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The event raised $5 million for the likes of the Good Counsel Homes for young mothers in need and the New York Foundling Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection. Cardinal Dolan flew in from the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization in Rome for what has become an oftentimes controversial political tradition. In the spirit of the roast-like nature of the fundraising dinner, the cardinalās light-handed ābig tentā remark met with guffaws, but his words were also a bit loaded. For the first time in history, both national partiesā presidential tickets include Roman Catholics: Joe Biden, running for re-election with President Barack Obama, and Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., running as the Republican vice-presidential nominee with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. On the very day that Catholics marked the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the opening of Year of Faith, the two Catholic vice-presidential candidates debated in Kentucky at the only vice-presidential debate. They were asked to explain their views on abortion in light of their shared Catholic faith. They provided extraordinarily diverse, even contrary, views: Biden relegating his faith on the issue of the protection of the most innocent human life to his personal life; Ryan explaining its influence on his entire life. Perhaps nothing more prominent in U.S. culture could cry out for the need of the Year of Faith, 365 days dedicated to relearning just what it is Catholics believe. The elephant in the room at the Al Smith Dinner, that did not go unmentioned by at least two of the lead speakers, was a lawsuit. The archbishop of New York, Cardinal Dolan, the traditional host of the charity dinner, is currently a plaintiff in a religious-freedom case against the Obama administrationās Department of Health and Human Services.Neither Romney nor Cardinal Dolan missed the opportunity to mention the religious-liberty controversy. āThe president has put his own stamp on relations with the Church. There have been some awkward moments,ā Romney said. āLike when the president pulled Pope Benedict aside to share some advice on how to deal with his own critics,ā Romney joked. āHe said, āLook, Holy Father, whatever the problem is just blame it on Pope John Paul II.āā The Republican presidential candidate was, of course, referring to the current administrationās tendency to blame President Obamaās predecessor for its own failings. Romney then quickly pivoted to a jovial reminder about the religious-freedom controversy driven by the Obama administrationās mandate that requires Catholic and other religious institutions as well as private business owners who object on religious grounds to include abortion-drugs, contraception and sterilization in their insurance policies. āOf course, the president has found a way to take the sting out of the Obamacare mandates for the Church,ā Romney continued. āFrom now on theyāre going to be in Latin.ā And focusing on what can unite Americans despite differing creeds, backgrounds and politics, Cardinal Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, took it upon himself to assume that those gathered were āgrateful to be people of faith and loyal Americans, loving a country which considers religious liberty our first and most cherished freedom, convinced that faith is not just limited to an hour of Sabbath worship, but affects everything we do and dream.ā āIf I only sat down with people who agreed with me, and I with them, or with those who were saints, Iād be taking all my meals alone,ā Cardinal Dolan tweeted Thursday, obviously in reference to controversy over the dinner invitation to the president, given the educational campaign the Catholic bishops have been leading about religious liberty, among people worried that the playful dinner would obscure the fundamental moral issues before voters this November. This echoed a plea he made in an interview with me for National Review Online: āPlease donāt be confused. Please know that simply to pray with somebody, simply to have a meal with somebody, simply to be friendly to somebody doesnāt mean that we are endorsing them or agreeing with them.ā Romney seemed to join that spirit: āIn our country, you can oppose someone in politics and make a confident case against their policies without any ill will, and thatās how it is for me. Thereās more to life than politics.ā At the dinner, both candidates seemed to genuinely express respect for one another as men, husbands and fathers. Yet amidst the jocular mood of the event, differences between the candidates remained clear ā and not just on the topic of religious freedom, but also on the dignity of the most innocent human life. Near the end of his remarks, Romney paid tribute to the work of the New York Archdiocese, the Al Smith Foundation and Catholic charities: āNo matter which way the political winds are blowing, that work goes on, day in day out, by this organization and you.ā He went on to say: āYou answer with calm and willing hearts and service to the poor and care for the sick, in defense (of) the rights of conscience and in solidarity with the innocent child waiting to be born. You strive to bring God's love ā¦ (to) every life.ā Romneyās reference to both the HHS mandate and abortion was not a tribute the president could join him in, given his administrationās policy. Instead, the president offered these words to his hosts: āIn all seriousness, I couldn't be more honored to be here this evening. I'm honored to be here with leaders of both the private and public sectors and particularly the extraordinary work that is done by the Catholic Church.ā With Catholics in swing states having a potential for deciding the next president, the decision to invite both candidates to the dinner was greeted by concern from some and welcome by others. Did the laughter confuse Catholics and other voters at a pivotal moment before a presidential election? Or was the evening an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the issue of religious freedom and show the crucial contribution religious organizations and the Catholic Church in particular and historic ways bring to civil society through service and charity?The verdict is still out, as the journey is ongoing. In his closing remarks, Cardinal Dolan hit upon a theme of his: āJoy is the infallible sign of Godās presence.ā He challenged all to live in that joy, always remembering it is āin God we trust,ā including in discerning our own role in the lives of those most in need, ānot, ultimately, in government or politics.ā National Catholic Register Kathryn Jean Lopez is editor-at-large of National Review Online and a nationally syndicated columnist
