People are finding their faith again, which is something they share with President-elect Donald Trump. That’s according to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, who shared his thoughts with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.
“There seems to be a newfound appreciation for the role of faith, especially in our country,” he said on “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“I think President Trump tapped into that. I’ve had talks with him before in the past. He was pretty blunt [that] he can’t say that he was raised as a very zealous Christian, but he takes his Christian faith seriously,” Dolan said. “He has a lot of memories about Norman Vincent Peale, the famous preacher here in New York, down… on Fifth Avenue, and I think he means it.”
Dolan, who will lead midnight Mass this Christmas, continued, “I think the assassination attempts kind of renewed in him, ‘There’s something beyond me that I think is watching over me, and it’s got a task for me.’ And what he expresses personally seems to be expressed more and more throughout the world. And that’s part of America.”
Dolan pointed to two important figures who survived assassination attempts — former President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II. They both achieved remarkable things after the attempts on their lives.
“When the two of them met for the first time, Ronald Reagan said to Pope Saint John Paul II, ‘Mother Teresa told me that she thinks the Lord spared me because the Lord has something special in mind for me, and Pope Saint John Paul II smiled and said, ’She told me the same thing.’ They both believed that, and look what they were able to accomplish. The world was changed for the better because of them,” Dolan said.
Dolan also showed Bartiromo a photo of a drawing from imprisoned Hong Kong freedom fighter, Jimmy Lai. It showed Christ on the cross.
Taking inspiration from this, Dolan said his message at midnight Mass will focus on the “triumph of light.”
“The Lord’s always inviting us to go out of ourselves. That gives us hope,” he said.
