Dolan to Offer Prayer at DNC

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, will offer the benediction at the Democratic National Convention as well as at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, the archdiocese announced in a statement on Tuesday. Dolan, who has been sharply critical of the Obama White House’s stance on issues including contraception, will attend the convention “solely as a pastor, only to pray, not to endorse any party, platform, or candidate,” the statement from an archdiocese spokesman said. Dolan has emerged as a figure of national political importance this year, leading the charge against what he called an attack on religious freedom when the Obama administration introduced its contraceptive mandate.