Cardinal Timothy Dolan, bishops are moral leaders, not targets for tarnishing

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, bishops are moral leaders, not targets for tarnishing

JAMES CARROLL (“Pope’s call resonating with bishops,”Op-ed, Nov. 18) caricatures Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan as “one of the fiercest culture warriors in the hierarchy,” and misrepresents the US Conference of Catholic Bishops as “a branch of the Republican Party.”
Dolan, as anyone who has watched his appearances on “The Colbert Report” can attest, is a priest who beautifully expresses the great joy of living the Catholic faith and communicates the good news of the Gospel in an accessible way.
Many Republicans would be surprised by Carroll’s claim that the conference of bishops has been co-opted by the GOP. In just the last few months, the conference has pressured Congress on the issue of comprehensive immigration reform and urged lawmakers to make sure budget legislation does not adversely affect safety nets for the poor.
Dolan, former president of the bishops’ conference; Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, who succeeds him; and Pope Francis are Catholics. As pastors in the public square they inform our conscience and keep us honest. That’s not partisan politics. That’s moral leadership.