Last Thursday’s 75th annual Al Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, like its predecessors, raised millions for Catholic charities. Since 1960, beginning with John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, it’s become a tradition for the presidential candidates to appear.
Unlike previous years, however, Timothy Cardinal Dolan hosted the annual charity fundraiser virtually from his residence. Both pro-life President Donald Trump and pro-abortion former vice president Joe Biden spoke on video.
According to the Associated Press, Mr. Biden said his time in politics has been “guided by the tenets of Catholic social doctrine.” He said, “What you do to the least among us, you do unto me,” adding “We have a responsibility to future generations, and that’s the charge before us today,” the AP reported.
Pro-lifers—and, for that matter, anyone keeping track of what Democrats in general, Mr. Biden in particular, are saying about abortion—hear this and wonder who more qualifies as “the least among us” than unborn children and how can ripping apart more than 900,000 unborn babies each year demonstrate that we are fulfilling our “responsibility to future generations”?
Of course, it’s all blather. The Biden campaign is attempting to persuade unwary Catholics and other people of faith that voting for a man who supports a platform of abortion on demand paid for by an unwilling public is acting in a manner consistent with what Jesus said to his disciples.
Here are some lengthy excerpts from President Trump’s remarks to the 75th annual Al Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner:
You showed the world the essence of the Catholic faith. I’ve known about it for a long time. I lived right next to a magnificent Catholic church. As Jesus Christ said in the Gospel, “Everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
As President, I want to thank the Catholic community for the magnificent generosity you showed in America’s hour of need [COVID-19]. …
He [Al Smith] spent his life fighting for hardworking Americans and battling the anti-Catholic prejudice that you see even today coming out of the Democrat party. Today, this amazing group continues that proud tradition of faithful service. Your work reminds us of an essential truth: In this country, civil society—and especially our religious institutions—are an essential foundation of American freedom. Our nation is strong because of Catholics and, frankly, people of all faiths. That is why, as President, one of my top priorities is to defend religious liberty and the cherished role of faith and faith-based organizations in our national life.
To protect your God-given rights, I was recently honored to nominate one of our most brilliant legal minds, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, to the United States Supreme Court, and that was an honor indeed. She is a proud graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School where her professor, one of the most respected anywhere in the country, said she was the single greatest student he’s ever had in his class. We will not stand for any attacks against Judge Barrett’s faith. Anti-Catholic bigotry has absolutely no place in the United States of America. …
We are once again standing with Catholic charities and healthcare providers such as the Little Sisters of the Poor. We’ve been with them all in the way in this long fight. We are fighting for Catholic adoption agencies and fighting hard. And we are defending the sacred right to life. Remember that when you vote. That’s so important, and so important to the Supreme Court. Every child, born and unborn, is made in the holy image of God. …
Now more than ever, our nation needs a renewal of the values that this organization promotes and that the Catholic faithful live out each and every day in peace. We love the Catholic people. We love the Catholic religion. And above all, we respect it greatly.
As President, I will always support you in your effort to serve our fellow citizens and to lift up all humanity. I will protect the Catholic Church, and I will defend the rights of religious believers of every race, religion, color, and creed.
Thank you once again to the Al Smith Memorial Foundation. God bless You, God bless New York, and God bless America.
You can watch the entire Dinner on C-Span.
Chelsea Garcia is a political writer with a special interest in international relations and social issues. Events surrounding the war in Ukraine and the war in Israel are a major focus for political journalists. But as a former local reporter, she is also interested in national politics.
Chelsea Garcia studied media, communication and political science in Texas, USA, and learned the journalistic trade during an internship at a daily newspaper. In addition to her political writing, she is pursuing a master's degree in multimedia and writing at Texas.
