His Eminence Timothy
Cardinal Dolan
Archdiocese of New
York
1011 First Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Your Eminence,
During the last week, there
has been much written on diocesan websites and by other bishops concerning the
controversy created by your invitation to President Obama to attend the Alfred
E. Smith dinner. Much of what has been written seeks to justify that invitation.
American Life League
recently launched an effort to convince you to rescind that invitation. The
reason for this memo is to let you know exactly why we are doing what we are
doing.
First, let me point out that
Cardinal Egan invited Mr. Obama to this same dinner four years ago and we did
not object. Although we disagreed with Obama's basic philosophies, we felt that
an attempt by the cardinal to show congeniality was worth trying.
However, it is now four
years later and it is clear that whatever the cardinal hoped to accomplish at
the 2008 dinner did not work. In four short years, President Obama has done
everything in his power to undermine the teachings of the Catholic Church. As
you know, he is implementing programs and policies that may soon make it
necessary for the Church to repudiate our basic beliefs or close down all of our
charitable and educational organizations.
Your Eminence, Mr. Obama
has a long history with the Catholic Church. From his days as a community
organizer working with Catholic churches in Chicago to his current attack on our
beliefs, Obama has shown himself to be a shrewd politician with a captivating
personality. How else do you explain the fact that, despite his very public
support of abortion, contraception, and Planned Parenthood, he received 54
percent of the Catholic vote in 2008?
The question is NOT why you
invited Mr. Obama to the dinner. The real question is why he accepted.
I submit to you that the
reason he accepted is that he has nothing to lose. The Al Smith Foundation
website touts that, at the 2008 dinner, Obama displayed "wit, wisdom, warmth,
and wile." I am sure the author of those words thought he was being totally
complimentary, but the fact is that he was very accurate. Synonyms for "wile"
are, of course, "hoax," "ploy," "scam," and "deception."
I believe Mr. Obama sees
the 2012 Al Smith dinner as an opportunity to, once again, use his wiles to
entice the Catholics in America to "trust" him-a trust that he has betrayed time
and time again.
Your Eminence, when I
think of the outcome of the event-where you are seen hosting both candidates for
president-I am convinced the idea that will be transmitted through
the images of that dinner will be that a vote for either candidate is okay with
the hierarchy.
This is precisely why
American Life League launched the No Dinner for Obama campaign. We don't want
Catholics to be confused about the most pro-abortion president in American
history. Our duty is to be faithful and to defend moral principles, while
begging our hierarchy to do the same.
We pray for you, and all
members of the hierarchy, "Lead us out of temptation and toward truth,
particularly today when so much is at stake."
You and the bishops of the
Church have convinced us over the last several months that the future of the
Catholic Church in America is hanging in the balance. We MUST oppose the
contraceptive mandate and all of the other affronts the current administration
is throwing at us.
Inviting the head of that
administration to dinner and a night of humor and congeniality is NOT how we are
going to save our Church.
Please, your
Eminence, cancel the invitation or cancel the dinner. If you do neither, I am
very afraid that, at this time next year, you may be forced to cancel most
Church activities that take place outside the confines of your
physical churches.
Asking the blessing of Your
Eminence, I am,
Yours respectfully in
Christ,
Judie Brown
president
Cc: All United States Catholic
Bishops
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