Caffeinated Politics

It was only a few months ago that New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan embarrassed Catholics and slapped reason and common sense away when stating on right-wing television that racist, xenophobic, homophobic, and misogynistic Charlie Kirk was “a modern-day St. Paul.” And I am in the running for the next crew aboard the space station.

What was so galling at the time revolved around how the MAGA movement tried to seize on Kirk’s killing by claiming he was in some way a martyr. It was just another glaring example of why those people really need a dictionary and a class or two about proper word usage.

Dolan’s type of verbal excess over the years was likely one reason he was not considered more seriously for the papacy this year. Additionally, he falls outside the growing tone of what many hope is the more welcoming and modernizing role of the Catholic Church. Whatever cozy arrangement Dolan courted with the extreme ends of evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity had to be removed from St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Dolan, who turned 75 in February, was required to submit his resignation to the Vatican. Popes sometimes allowed bishops to remain in their posts for months or even years after they submitted their resignation. Not so with Dolan. This week, Pope Leo exercised his prerogative to shape the leadership of that key archdiocese with his preferred candidate, Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois.  

It was stunningly clear in the late phase of the 2024 presidential campaign that Dolan had exceeded his time as the leader of the New York Archdiocese.  At the Al Smith Dinner, he was a public embarrassment as he sat fawning, chuckling, and smirking as Donald Trump attacked Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the most base, rude, and outright vile manner. It was abundantly clear that Dolan thought Christian values could be easily tossed aside, and later, he could just get in the forgiveness line at his church.

I am glad to be able to post on Caffeinated Politics that one of the more pronounced embarrassments of the Catholic Church in our country has been replaced. And I might add by a very handsome man.