Cdl Dolan's Shot at the Democrats

This essayist notes that the Cardinal of New York, Timothy Dolan, has called out the Democrats in unusually strong terms.  That is true. 

He further proposes that Dolan, as the informal spokesman for the US Bishops, was notifying Pp. Francis that the Pope's left-ish politics are not what the US Bishops are going to push.  Well, that's possible, but I don't think Dolan was writing this to pull the chain at the Vatican.

So far, one "YUP", one "Maybe".  Here's where the author goes off the track:

...My take is that the calculations that went into this decision are something like this.  The Catholic bishops, having studied the politics of this new Trump era, have come to the conclusion that, as shepherds, they need to be with their flocks.  And they now know that their flock is no longer a Democrat flock, and not likely to return to that fold in any definitive way.  As a further calculation, I believe that the bishops have recognized that if they lose the moral high ground – in the eyes of their flocks – on the all important social issues, the consequences could be dire.  They've already seen how Trump was able to speak over their heads to the faithful.  They can't afford to allow that to become a pattern....

Nope.  The Catholic Bishops are indeed shepherds.  Shepherds do not "follow" their flock; they lead or guide them.  The author's view is seriously jaundiced by his fixation on politics, which is not uber alles in the Church.  Far from it!

Sad to say, Cdl. Dolan's announcement is about 30 years late.  The Democrat Party's horrific stance on the life issue--THE one that matters--has been solid for at least that long, Sen. Bob Casey notwithstanding.   Gov. Cuomo's "invitation" for Catholics to leave New York State because there is no room for "pro-life" people there is merely the capstone of what's been a-building since 1968.

Cdl. Dolan is joining some Catholics who have voted against the (D)s for years, but he will be leading a large group who have been voting for Mom, Dad, and Grandpa's (D) party since the 1930's out of there and into a party which (I remind you) was once as pro-abortion as the Democrats are now.

Just ask Barbara Bush about that.

While you're at it, ask Paul Ryan about funding Planned Parenthood again.