Brian Roewe
National Catholic Reporter
Aug. 23, 2012
Word broke Thursday that New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan has accepted an offer to lead the closing prayer at the Republican National Convention, in Tampa, Fla., Aug. 27-30.
Dolan will lead the benediction on the convention's final night, just after Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney officially accepts his party's nomination.
The news has stirred debate as to whether Dolan's appearance would be seen as supporting Romney and his running mate Wis. Rep. Paul Ryan, who has a long-standing friendship with the cardinal.
New York archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling said it was made clear to GOP convention organizers "that the Cardinal was coming only to pray not to endorse, and that he would be willing to accept a similar offer from the Democratic Party as well."
Zwilling acknowledged that the usual church protocol is for convention organizers to invite the local bishop to offer such a prayer, but the GOP chose instead to invite Dolan, who accepted only after contacting Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, Fla.
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