Even though the Democratic Party took a major step forward this week by supporting marriage equality in their official platform for the first time ever, Cardinal Timothy Dolan could not resist taking a shot at equal rights for the LGBT community during his closing prayer at the party's convention after President Barack Obama spoke on Thursday night.
"Show us anew that happiness is found only in respecting the laws of nature and of nature’s God," Dolan said in the benediction at the close of the final night of the Democratic National Convention. "Empower us with your grace so that we might resist the temptation to replace the moral law with idols of our own making, or to remake those institutions you have given us for the nurturing of life and community."
Dolan's reference to remaking "those institutions you have given us for the nurturing of life and community" was almost certainly an allusion to his opposition to equal marriage rights for LGBT people.
Earlier this year, the cardinal had accused Obama of undermining the "very cornerstone of society" by supporting same sex marriage.
Dolan's Thursday prayer may have been an attempt to undermine the official Democratic platform, which includes support for marriage equality for the first time in the party's history.
"President Obama and the Democratic Party are committed to ensuring all Americans are treated fairly," the platform approved by voice vote of Democratic delegates at the convention on Tuesday says. "We support the right of all families to have equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law."
"We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples. We also support the freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference.”
The Democratic Party chose not to include video of Dolan's benediction on their official convention YouTube page.
