Cardinal Blaise Cupich delivers invocation at the Democratic National Convention

Cardinal Blaise Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, offered the opening invocation at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, August 19, disappointing Illinois Right to Life and millions of Catholics across the nation.

The practice of Catholic clergy or religious giving invocations or speaking at political conventions is best put aside, in my opinion. It’s simply impossible for the practice to not give the impression that the Catholic official is in some way endorsing, or at least not condemning, the policies of the political parties. It’s best to decline invitations to give these invocations or speeches.

I cannot understand why Cardinal Cupich would accept the invitation to give the invocation at the DNC, a party that is outspoken and even boastful about its support for legal abortion at every stage of pregnancy, that is outspoken and even boastful about its support for providing opposite sex hormones and sex-change operations to children and adolescents, that has been attempting for the entirety of the Biden administration to force Catholic hospitals to provide abortions, sex-change operations, sterilization, and euthanasia, that supports same-sex marriage, that has created a humanitarian crisis at the southern border, and that has weaponized the Department of Justice against pro-life protesters while ignoring domestic terrorists who have attacked Catholic churches across the nation. In his prayer, Cardinal Cupich made no mention of protecting the lives of the unborn. When Cardinal Dolan gave the invocation at the DNC in 2012, he specifically mentioned protecting the unborn. Sheesh, even Fr. James Martin mentioned protecting the unborn when he gave the invocation at the DNC. Cardinal Cupich? Crickets. I suppose he didn’t want to offend. Too bad. The Democrats need to be offended.

Of course, there will be plenty of Catholics who will provide excuses and justifications for Cupich’s offering the invocation at the DNC. “Well, the Republicans are only pro-birth! They don’t care about people after they’ve been born!” “Well, Bishop Listecki gave the invocation at the RNC, and the Republicans are just as bad as the Democrats, if not worse!” “Well, Catholics ought to be involved in these conventions, or the parties won’t take us seriously!” Well, Joe Biden is a Catholic, so it’s only right that a Catholic cardinal give the invocation!” “Well, this country is being torn apart, and we need unity now; what better way than to pray for those with whom we may disagree!” “Well! … Well! … Well!”

Nope. Not buying it. The fact that so many Catholics will justify this says far more about the state of Catholics in this country than it does about the moral integrity of the Democratic Party. Cardinal Cupich gave the invocation at the convention of a political party that has made abortion “rights” and gender ideology (which Pope Francis has called “demonic”) central, if not the central, platforms of their party. As Cardinal Cupich was giving the invocation inside the United Center in Chicago, Planned Parenthood was outside the United Center providing free chemical abortions, and hundreds of pro-Hamas activists were protesting Biden’s support for Israel. Remember, Hamas is a terrorist organization that would execute members of “Queers for Palestine” if those queers ever made the unfortunate decision to actually visit Palestine.

I would rather Bishop Listecki not have given the invocation at the Republican National Convention, but the two are not comparable. No, they’re not. People can argue whether the Republican platform is truly pro-life, whether their policies help poor people or not, whether their economic policies are best for the country. All of these are prudential judgments, and Catholic may agree or disagree on them. But Catholics are not free to employ prudential judgment on the matter of abortion. Catholics are not free to employ prudential judgment on the matter of sex-change operations and hormone therapy for minors. These matters are not simply grave moral wrongs, they are intrinsically evil, attacks on basic human dignity. Bishop Listecki’s choice to give the invocation at the RNC may or may not have been a poor decision. But I would argue that Cardinal Cupich’s decision to give the invocation at the DNC was cooperation with evil, or blasted close enough to have made the decision not to give the invocation the obvious one.

More than ever, as the life and liberty of the most vulnerable in this country are under severe attack, we need to remember who we are as Catholics. We stand for life. We stand for human dignity. Those stands cannot be compromised for the appearance of political neutrality. When lives are at stake, remaining neutral is not an option. The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. “I know your works,” Jesus told the Church in Laodicea, “I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Rev 3:15-16).

Cardinal Cupich’s appearance at the DNC was a disgrace. Pray for Cardinal Cupich. Pray for all bishops, priests, deacons, and religious who may be tempted to compromise the integrity of the Church for the sake of a false prestige or political influence.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.