Dolan Says Church Is ‘Caricatured’ as Antigay

The remarks were made in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” in which Cardinal Dolan, the archbishop of New York, discussed the church’s positions on abortion and the Affordable Care Act in addition to gay rights. The interview is scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday; excerpts were released on Friday.

In the interview, Cardinal Dolan said the church had been “out-marketed” on the issue of same-sex marriage by Hollywood and by some politicians who have tried to paint the church in a negative light.

“We’re pro-marriage, we’re pro-traditional marriage, we’re not anti-anybody,” he said.

The cardinal’s comments on same-sex marriage come amid a recalibration of tone in the church on the issue of homosexuality, a move led by Pope Francis, even as the substance of its position remains largely unchanged.

In July, Pope Francis surprised many when he suggested that he would not judge priests for their sexual orientation. He has since cautioned against succumbing to moral relativism, and on Tuesday endorsed a document written by the bishops of the United States that insists that those with a “homosexual inclination” be held to “objective moral norms,” even if this is perceived as prejudiced.

With Illinois this month becoming the 16th state to legalize same-sex marriage, the host of “Meet the Press,” David Gregory, asked whether Cardinal Dolan thought that “regardless of church teachings” same-sex marriage would soon be legal in every state.

“I think I’d be a Pollyanna to say that there doesn’t seem to be kind of a stampede to do this,” he said. “I regret that.”

Asked whether he thought the battle over same-sex marriage in the United States was settled, he said: “No. I don’t think it is. Uh-uh.” On the issue of the Affordable Care Act, Cardinal Dolan reiterated the church’s opposition to requirements that insurance provide coverage for contraception. He also criticized it for not including undocumented immigrants.

“We Catholics, who are kind of among the pros when it comes to providing health care, do it because of our religious conviction, and because of the dictates of our conscience,” he said. “And now we’re being asked to violate some of those.”

He said that the Roman Catholic Church had been pushing for universal health care for decades, but would not support the health care law without changes to address these concerns. “Mr. President, please, you’re really kind of pushing aside some of your greatest supporters here,” he said. “We want to be with you, we want to be strong. And if you keep doing this, we’re not going to be able to be one of your cheerleaders.”

Yahoo Local News – New York Times

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