Cardinal Sin, Cont'd.

Pope Francis has been a true breath of fresh air in the Catholic Church, after a string of conservative, exclusionary Pontiffs and after the Church's scandals have driven Catholics away.  But there will always be a significant number of the Church's "Princes" that will try to redirect or undermine Pope Francis' new emphasis on economic equality and social justice.  Exhibit A:  New York's avuncular, conservative Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who was one of Pope Francis' rivals for the Papacy.  He was also a key figure in the pedophile priest scandals while Archbishop of Milwaukee.

Dolan's been in the lead for the American Church's opposition to provisions in the Affordable Care Act that permit insurance companies to offer birth control as part of their policies for Catholic institutions.  Note that it's not a requirement that the insured receive birth control, it's just there if desired.  It should also be noted that non-Catholics work for Catholic institutions all over the country, and don't necessary follow the Catholic Church's teachings on reproductive rights.  So, Dolan is trying to keep the focus of the Church's energies on what Pope Francis has called an obsession with birth control and abortion, by saying the Church is opposed to 'Obamacare' because "it's excluding the unborn."  Which probably includes the just-fertalized egg, right Tim?

Here's some "Tips For Tim":  Listen to the Pope.  Stop the cultural war on women.  Focus on the poorest among us.  And remember that you're not a Rethug candidate for office, or a Fux "News" contributor.

UPDATE:  He's still not listening:

After lobbying against New York’s marriage equality law, Dolan prohibited by decree any Church personnel or property from being utilized for same-sex marriage ceremonies under penalty of “canonical sanctions,” calling the state’s law “irreconcilable with the nature and the definition of marriage as established by Divine law.” He has also compared the “threat” posed to marriage by gays and lesbians to that of polygamy, adultery, forced marriage, communist dictatorships, and incest. Dolan responded to the Supreme Court’s decision striking down a section of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act by claiming that the spread of marriage equality will threaten “the common good of all.”