Cardinal Dolan must have thought Democrats needed more prayer cover than Republicans. His closing prayer at the Republican National Convention was 544 words, while at the Democratic National Convention it was 700 words. (Text of both here.)

Dolan began his prayer at both conventions with either an intentional or unintentional slight of Islam: “Almighty God, father of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus…” but not Ishmael, Abraham’s firstborn son by his wife’s maidservant Hagar, considered Muhammad’s ancestor.

Not many people likely noticed that, but I did, and I’m sure Muslims in the room fumed. (Photo right is of a prayer gathering of 300 Muslims in Charlotte before the launch of the DNC.)

In other words, Cardinal Dolan made sure everyone in the audience – and God – knew he was praying not to some ambiguous deity, of which so many are worshiped in the Democratic Party, particularly earth. It was a quiet, brilliant stroke of loyalty and defiance, IMO.

But moving on.

Many words in both prayers were similar, if not identical.

According to CRS, its membership in the CORE Group is a “means of demonstrating our faithfulness to church teaching.” This defense, however, will be hard to use with MEDiCAM. Membership in such an organization, because of its deep involvement in the expansion of abortion in Cambodia, would be comparable to membership in the International Planned […]

The title of Mitt Romney’s August 9 campaign ad, “Be Not Afraid,” was obviously intentional, a tip of the hat to Pope John Paul II’s favored words of Jesus. The ad itself was aimed at the important Catholic voting bloc, which supported Barack Obama by a margin of 54-45% in 2008.

Romney’s choice of Catholic Paul Ryan as his running mate is also partially intended to woo Catholics. As a social and fiscal conservative, Ryan draws a sharp contrast to pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-Obamacare Catholic Vice President Joe Biden.

Politico goes in-depth today on Obama’s vulnerability among Catholics this go-around:

We hold that if Cardinal John O’Connor didn’t invite pro-abort Bill Clinton in 1996, and if Cardinal Egan didn’t invite pro-abort John Kerry in 2004, then on what grounds could your Eminence find to invite Obama in 2012, when he has proven handily and has worked arduously since 2009 to act in defiance of our […]

Before Wheaton’s move, most plaintiffs suing over the mandate were Catholic colleges and organizations that follow the Vatican’s teaching against birth control. Most of the 58 plaintiffs in the 24 lawsuits are Catholic dioceses, colleges and charity groups. But Wheaton’s involvement shows that Catholics aren’t alone in opposing the mandate, since many evangelical Christians view […]

I wrote on June 28 that the Vatican had cleared Father Frank Pavone as a priest in good standing in response to Bishop Patrick Zurek’s September 9, 2011, letter “suspend[ing]” him “from public ministry,” words with ominous implications.

Whatever Bishop Zurek meant by the term “suspend,” which some argue was just a poor word choice, was overruled by the Vatican. Father Pavone, while still under Bishop Zurek’s authority, has been authorized by the Vatican to continue his work at Priests for Life, which includes traveling and speaking around the country and world on behalf of innocent human life.

Since then Priests for Life has announced two collaborative endeavors with the Vatican, an obvious added show of approval on the part of Rome.

Last weekend, Michelle Obama encouraged churches to be bold in taking a political stand. [She] told the congregation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church… “To anyone who says that church is no place to talk about these issues, you tell them there is no place better — no place better…. Because ultimately, these are not […]

UPDATE 6/29, 11:21a: My friend within six degrees of separation of this controversy reminded me last night that the Vatican would not have declared Father Pavone unsuspended and a priest in good standing had it not examined Priest for Life’s financial records for itself. After all, this was the foremost reason Bishop Zurek gave for his suspension. I agree that the Vatican would take absolutely no chance of having its withdrawal of suspension come back to embarrass it, especially in this day and age of priest scandals. So I have removed “(sort of)” from my headline. I think the Vatican indeed exonerated FP by its nod in his favor.

My friend said his first take was that the Vatican’s clearance opens the door for Father Pavone to pursue incarnation in a pro-life friendly diocese.

6/28, 12:01p: On Tuesday night came good news on Priests for Life’s website: