Democrats Relent: Invite Dolan to Pray at DNC Convention

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which launched the Fortnight for Freedom campaign in April of this year.

Commentator Ben Johnson of Life Site News reports this morning from Charlotte, North Carolina that Cardinal Timothy Dolan will pray at the conclusion of both the Republican and Democratic national conventions in 2012.

The Democratic Party ignored the Cardinal's  offer to pray at the DNC convention for several weeks after it was made.

The New York prelate will arrive in Tampa to give the closing benediction to the Republican National Convention this week after it nominates Mitt Romney for president. Then he will attend the Democratic National Convention to offer a closing prayer in Charlotte, as it renominates the Obama-Biden ticket.
Dolan’s spokeman, Joseph Zwilling, said last week that the cardinal had contacted the Democratic Party after he accepted the GOP’s invitation “to make sure that they knew that this was not a partisan act on his part and that he would be just as happy and grateful to accept an invitation from the Democrats.” At that time, Democratic operatives had not responded.

As Dolan prays, he is also bringing the nation’s warring factions an additional petition: conduct a civil campaign.

The cardinal, who is also president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is asking Romney and Obama to sign the Knights of Columbus “Civility in America” pledge, which calls on “candidates, the media and other advocates and commentators” to focus “on policies rather than on individual personalities.”