In his own Words Timothy Cardinal Dolan

In his own Words Timothy Cardinal Dolan In pursuit of the truth - www.cinopsbegoneblogspot.com - Tues. May 1, 2012 Selected excerpts from “A People of Hope,” Archbishop Timothy Dolan in Conversation with John L. Allen Jr. - Image Books, New York, 1012 One of the things I’ve said for a long time is that we need a resurrected sense of apologetics. We Catholics sometimes are far too timid. We don’t know how to respond when people throw out these silly caustic remarks about the Church… 144 At one level, bravo to our government for recognizing that the best people to carry out much of the humanitarian work are people of faith… We’ve got to become more creative about how to spotlight the contributions that so many Catholics are making under their own steam, simply as an outgrowth of the faith and the sense of daring they’ve imbibed from the Church. 146 For example, what I see sometimes in home schooling. I know there is a lot of criticism of it, and without doubt there are some zealots out there. But right now I am going through the process of calling about 12 prospects for the seminary to encourage them and to see if there’s anything they want to talk about me about. 6 of them are home schooled. I have to admit that right away, that causes some flares for me. But in general, I find these people have absorbed affirmative orthodoxy. 147 We had a great Legion of Mary in the parish. I loved the Legion of Mary, you have heard me say that I always think that if a parish has the Legion of Mary and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, it’s in great shape, because they’ll take care of the spiritual & corporal work of mercy. 155-6 One guy who I think has reinvigorated dialogue is Benedict XVI, constantly saying that true, respectful dialogue starts with a clear understanding of the truth that you bring to the conversation… Another thing we need in dialogue, especially for us believers, is a certain amount of fearlessness. That we are not afraid, that the truth shall set us free. 159 Lourdes is one of my favorite places on the face of the earth. To be in the crowd and singing “Ave, Ave” is for me a theophany. Seeing the pope is another instance. As many times as it has happened for me to see the pope remains a spiritually uplifting moment. I’ve always been a big fan of Don Bosco, who always said the Eucharist, the Blessed Mother, and the pope are the real hallmarks of Catholic identity. 178 What I really believe is that God never calls you to do something without giving you the grace to do it. 181-182 Who was it who said that after years of study I’ve come to reluctantly accept that the Roman Catholic Church must be divine, because no merely human institution governed by such imbecility could have survived a fortnight! [The line is from Hilaire Belloc.] 187 When I look out on Sunday, I say that as Catholics we are part of a supernatural family. Just as with our natural families, we may have our tensions and our frustrations, but ultimately this is who we are. Our fates are bound together, for better & for worse. 199 Hope must flow from faith, the reason the Church is a people of hope, is precisely because of faith. My faith is that Church is a people of hope, is precisely because of faith. My faith is that there is a God who happens to love us, who happens to hold us in the palm of his hand, who happens to have sent his only begotten Son to save us and to promise us eternity, and who assured us that he’ll be with us always even to the end of days.213 G.H.K.