MADRID (EWTN News/CNA) — Archbishop Timothy Dolan predicts that the recent redefinition of marriage in New York will have a “big impact” on future attempts by young people to build up Catholic family life.
“That’s a good example of how our young people find, very often, the culture of our society to be at odds with what they treasure as Catholics,” the archbishop of New York told EWTN News on Aug. 17 prior to an evening prayer service for hundreds of young New Yorkers at World Youth Day.
Gay “marriage” became legal in New York state last month following the passage of the Marriage Equality Act in the state Legislature by 33 votes to 29. The approved bill was signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo the same day.
Archbishop Dolan says the most effective thing that young Catholics can now do to defend marriage is “to model happy, faithful, life-giving marriage. That’s the best thing we can do.”
But he also stressed that young Catholics will have to be prepared “never to shy away from the prophetic part of speaking the truth,” in “letting people know that the defense of traditional marriage is not just some weird, superstitious, medieval Catholic cause.” Instead, it “is at the heart of what makes it for the common good: namely providing the healthiest, most wholesome environment for children.”
Archbishop Dolan believes that events such as World Youth Day play a crucial role in equipping young people to defend the family. On Aug. 17 he led more than 400 young pilgrims in evening prayer and Benediction, where, he said, they could be “united in prayer before Our Lord.”
“That’s what young people will tell me is so liberating and uplifting and enlightening and inspirational about this event,” observed Archbishop Dolan.
“It’s that they are with a million young people who share their values, who love the faith and are committed Catholics who are struggling day in and day out to live the kind of life that Jesus and his Church expect.”
The Pope arrives in Spain on Thursday, Aug. 18.
World Youth Day is “a real boost to them because, for at least five days, they’re in a culture of support and encouragement,” said Archbishop Dolan.
“And that arms them for the countercultural aspect of the faith which Blessed John Paul II spoke about always — that the faith is also countercultural.”
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After seeing Archbishop Dolan installed in St.Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, I wrote to him expressing my prayers and gratitude to him as a holy and truthful priest. We lost a son to AIDS in 1993. Archbishop Dolan was kind enough to respond to my letter and offered to say Mass for our son. I am deeply touched by this and it certainly shows what this priest is really like. May God Bless Him and give him the graces and strength that he needs in his job. He is in my daily prayers.
The church nor Dolan is not to HATE homosexuals. Homosexuals—or the true term should be poeple with same sex attraction—aren’t to be hated. What is hated are the sins pertaining to it—-the activities, the lifestyle and the mentalities many of these poor indiviuals engage in.
I am sure there are many good Catholics out there that have same sex attraction and astaine from such activities and lifestyles. The ones that go around and have state governments such as NY make a mockery of marriage, religion, family, morals and a lacking of how to properly conduct themselves in public are the evil ones that need to be radicated.
How Dolan presented himself on EWTN’s Sunday Night Prime on the subject was done in a professional and compassionate way. Fire and Brimstone is not what we need to attract poeple to the church.
I also saw Bishop Dolan on EWTN with Fr. Groeschel. His comments on so-called ‘gay’ marriage were appallingly weak. Not once did he say homosexuality was a sin. Not once did he denounce their disgusting practices and call for repentance. All he did was make some mealy-mouthed statement on how we love homosexuals and that gay marriage would be bad for families.
No one is saying he has to hate anybody - but to constantly intone that we need to love homosexuals without explaining that real love means to NOT confirm them in their sins and to proclaim loudly that they need to turn from an evil lifestyle.
Teddy’s comments that Dolan is not into politics is way off base. Dolan is *too much* into politics, and too worried about offending the powerful gay lobby in New York. Shame on him. His limp, luke-ware dealing with teh heresies and apostasies in dicocese are an embarrassment to the Catholic Church.
Bishop Dolan is THE MAN! Recently, he was on EWTN’s Sunday Night Prime with Fr. Benedict Greoschel. He’s a brilliant, funny and smart man. He says he’s not into politics, but I think he should run for President.
We need a man of the cloth that is moral and compassionate to run the USA!
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