Cardinal Dolan RNC Prayer

Cardinal Dolan Prays at GOP Convention that “all lives may be protected and respected”

on August 25, 2020

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York delivered an opening prayer for the Republican National Convention this week emphasizing vulnerable populations including the elderly, immigrants and refugees, the unborn and those facing persecution for their faith.

The prayer, which was pre-recorded, was delivered at the beginning of the convention’s August 24 opening night.

Dolan was invited to deliver prayers at both of the 2012 national party conventions. Last week, Fr. James Martin of the Jesuit magazine America and Sr. Simone Campbell of the liberal Catholic social justice lobby NETWORK offered prayers at the Democratic National Convention. Vocal Trump critic Bishop Marianne Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington was the only mainline Protestant invited to pray at the DNC, offering a benediction on the convention’s second night.

As with Budde and Martin, Dolan stated that his acceptance of the invitation to pray at the GOP convention was a nonpartisan act and that he would have offered the same prayer at the DNC if asked to deliver a prayer there. The Archdiocese did not promote Dolan’s appearance, and I was unable to locate any reference on the Archdiocesan website, which features a regularly updated media page.

The Archdiocese of New York serves 2.81 million Roman Catholics across 10 counties. Much like Budde’s D.C.-area Episcopal Diocese, the geographic territory it covers is not considered politically competitive in the Presidential election, but is prominent due to a significant national media presence.

In advance of the convention, Dolan received criticism for accepting the invitation, including a CNN-published op-ed from a priest in his diocese. Dolan responded in a tweet from his personal account.

Here is the full text of Dolan’s prayer, as transcribed by America:

Let us pray. And pray we must, as grateful citizens of a country we boldly claim to be one nation under God.

Pray we must, praising the Lord for a country where freedom of religion is so cherished.

Where both Republicans and Democrats begin their conventions, heads bowed in prayer.

Pray we must, conscious of those suffering from Covid, and those wearied front-liners who care for them and all of us. Pray we must that all lives may be protected and respected, in our troubled cities and the police who guard them. 

In tense world situations where our men and women in uniform keep the peace. 

For the innocent life of the baby in the womb.

For our elders in nursing care and hospice. 

For our immigrants and refugees.

For those lives threatened by religious persecution throughout the world, or by plague, hunger, drugs, human trafficking or war.

Pray we must in Thanksgiving, in Thanksgiving, dear God for democracy.

As we ask your hand, Almighty Father, upon this convention and the nominees of both parties, and his wisdom upon an electorate so eager to perform its duty of faithful citizenship

Pray we do, for we dare claim.

In God we Trust.

ABC News provided a video of Dolan’s prayer, which can be viewed below.

  1. Comment by William J Brightman on August 26, 2020 at 1:38 am

    I find it sad that Cardinal Dolan who claims he is speaking for the marginalized and the forgotten . Is speaking at the National Convention of the Political Party that openly caters to and has given a home and a voice to the worst kinds of racist, xenophobic.anti- Semitic and masochistic behavior.

  2. Comment by Search4Truth on September 2, 2020 at 5:36 pm

    Mr. Brightman you must be listening to the commentators on CNN who would be fired before their broadcast ended if they accidently exclaimed a truthful statement. Are you looking forward to the lawless riots and anarchy of George Soros’ picked troops in which to bring up your children?

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