Friday, April 24, 2009

Abortion, the death penalty, and war: Archbishop Dolan's words (for which I can't find the source)

In today's press release from the Cardinal Newman Society—a pretty much daily missive—I found Archbishop Timothy Dolan's exposition on the difference, for Catholics, between war, capital punishment, and abortion extremely lucid. The Society credited the New York Post for the interview.

Unfortunately for me — and for you, if you're a reader — I simply cannot find any source online (other than the Cardinal Newman Society) that iterates these words. (Except for the Cardinal Newman Society.) If you can help me on this, I'd appreciate it.

Meanwhile, if you're one who keeps insisting that Catholic teaching on war, the death penalty, and abortion are somehow "equal," then I invite you to read the following. Thank you.

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The Most Reverend Timothy A. Dolan, Archbishop of New York, explained during a recent interview that his opposition to Notre Dame’s slated honor for President Obama on May 17 is due to the President’s support for the “intrinsic evil” of abortion. He also contrasted abortion to other serious concerns, like the Iraq war and the death penalty, which “are open to some discussion and are not intrinsically evil.”
...
The [New York Post reporter] asked Archbishop Dolan why he is publicly opposed to Notre Dame honoring President Obama at its commencement on May 17, but did not publicly oppose the same honor to President George W. Bush in 2001, given Bush’s positions on the Iraq war and the death penalty.

“There’s a big difference,” Archbishop Dolan said. “There are some issues where the Church has weighed in, that one must be very sensitive to the morality of some issues, but they’re not intrinsically evil. An intrinsic evil means that something is always and everywhere wrong.”
The Church’s teaching on the death penalty and war, explained Archbishop Dolan, allow for such activities in extreme cases. So while Archbishop Dolan said he was uncomfortable with President Bush’s positions, he “would have to give him the benefit of the doubt to say that those two issues are open to some discussion and are not intrinsically evil. In the Catholic mindset… that would not apply to abortion."
...

This is, without question, Church teaching, plain and simple. I only wish I could find a back-up source that actually quotes Dolan speaking it. It shouldn't matter, I realize that, since the Catechism of the Catholic Church makes his points very clear, but it does matter to me, and it should to you.

Anyway, please don't send me this link because I've read it and it doesn't relay the entire text quoted above. But if you can find the source, again, I'd appreciate it.

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Update: DUH on me! As Michele points out in the com box, the link in the above paragraph, is the right link...the trick is to watch the video, sheesh. The interview is a good one, by the way, and worth the look-see.