The Archbishop of New York Should Know Charlie Kirk Was No Saint

"It's a modest stroll from the residence of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, near St. Patrick's Cathedral, to the studio of Fox & Friends in midtown Manhattan. For Dolan, the distance seems to have grown shorter over time. In his most recent appearance on the popular right-wing morning talk show, he drew attention for calling Charlie Kirk, the slain founder of Turning Point USA, " a modern-day St. Paul.""

"Dolan is the leader of the 2.8 million Catholics comprising the country's second-largest archdiocese, a prelate once thought likely to be the first US-born pope. For the uninitiated, St. Paul is a towering figure of Christianity as we know it, a first-century Pharisee who famously converted on the road to Damascus and preached throughout Asia Minor and Europe. Dolan is certainly acquainted with Paul's epistles, the body of writings addressed to the communities he ministered to;"

"Many Christians and Catholics, while condemning Kirk's murder, have also felt obligated to note his record of racist, homophobic, transphobic, and anti-immigrant rhetoric and relentless pro-gun advocacy. These include prominent Black church leaders, as well as religious orders like the Catholic Sisters of Charity of New York, who also criticized Dolan directly: Kirk's "prejudicial words do not reflect the qualities of a saint," they said in a statement."

Cardinal Timothy Dolan called Charlie Kirk a modern-day St. Paul during an appearance on Fox & Friends. Dolan leads 2.8 million Catholics in the country's second-largest archdiocese and was once considered a likely US-born pope. St. Paul is described as a first-century Pharisee who converted on the road to Damascus and preached across Asia Minor and Europe; Paul's epistles are standard in Catholic liturgy. Many Christians and Catholics condemned Kirk's murder while criticizing his record of racist, homophobic, transphobic, and anti-immigrant rhetoric and relentless pro-gun advocacy. Religious orders and Black church leaders publicly rejected the comparison.

Read at The Nation