Gareth O'Callaghan: Catholics and Republicans slowly becoming joined at the hip

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump talks with Cardinal Timothy Dolan at the 79th annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York. Picture: AP

Every picture loves a caption, a voice to describe its drift, which in turn brings it to life. “Scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours” was that voice in the photograph of the cardinal and the president recently; the former, whom many see as the next pope, the latter, the next president of America. Two of the most powerful men in the modern world. More on that in a moment.

The historic Al Smith black tie dinner is an event held annually at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel to raise funds for Catholic children’s charities in the New York Archdiocese. It is named in honour of a man who grew up in a poor family on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, in what was then an immigrant working-class neighbourhood.

Smith went on to become governor of New York four times. He was the first Catholic to become the Democratic nominee in the 1928 presidential election.

In the words of the historian Theodore Harold White, the event is a “ritual of American politics”. In the run-up to an election, it’s seen as the last chance both major party candidates get to share a stage.

It’s a night of witty speeches, with both candidates poking fun at themselves in front of an affluent audience who wouldn’t have much in common with Al Smith’s impoverished upbringing around East 14th. During the 2000 dinner, George W. Bush summed it up by joking: “This is an impressive crowd. The haves and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite. I call you my base”.

Conspicuous by their absence

Over the years, the stage has been shared by Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama and John McCain, Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, and four years ago by Trump and Joe Biden. However, on the third Thursday of this month, one of the nominees was missing.

Kamala Harris cited in her absence that she was too busy campaigning. 

She might look back and regret her decision. The last presidential candidate not to turn up at the Al Smith dinner was Walter Mondale in 1984. Just 19 days later, he lost the vote to Ronald Reagan in every state except Minnesota.

When a night is given over to self-deprecation with Donald Trump as the only speaker, then it’s a recipe for squirm and recoil. 

“I guess I just don’t see the point of taking shots at myself when other people have been shooting at me for a hell of a long time,” Trump said, setting the agenda for a 30-minute tirade.

What we also got on the night was an insight into the ongoing politicisation of the church in the United States — Republicans and Catholics becoming joined at the hip.

There was only one guest there who could out-trump the Donald, and that was Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York.

Throughout his priesthood, Dolan has successfully nurtured an image of being a cuddly midwestern man-in-the-street type, alongside his reputation as an old-school Vatican stalwart.

He was appointed by Pope Benedict in 2009, and therein lies the headway of his conservative background, which many see as a perfect match for their friendship: Dolan likes nothing more than to boast about his relationship with Trump, almost as much as Trump likes to boast about himself.

During one phone call between Trump and a 600-strong gathering of some of the city’s most influential Catholics back in 2020, Trump hailed the cardinal as a “great gentleman” and “a great friend of mine”. Dolan replied by joking that his 90-year-old mother once said that he calls Trump more than he calls her.

The cardinal stood on the steps of the Capitol building in January 2017 and prayed for God’s wisdom as Trump was sworn in as America’s 45th president:

“Indeed, though one might be perfect among mortals if wisdom which comes from you be lacking, we count for nothing,” he read from the Book of Wisdom.

Schmoozing is a quality both men have in abundance, seduced by an almost suffocating desire for power and celebrity, while not forgetting the ferocious influence they hold over their followers. A new poll this month by the National Catholic Reporter reveals that Catholic voters in seven key swing states favour Trump over Harris.

Rihanna attending the Met Gala in New York in 2018.

Dolan has a penchant for being a showbiz-kind-of-guy. Back in 2018, the reason singer Rihanna’s Met Gala headpiece (known as a mitre) looked so genuine was that it belonged to the Cardinal who loaned it to her for the event, proving once again how he never misses a media opportunity.

Trump’s appointment of conservative anti-choice Catholics to the Supreme Court and his signing of executive orders to protect the so-called freedom of religious institutions is music to Dolan’s ears, as is the right denied to same-sex couples hopes of adopting children, the discrimination of LGBTQ+ people and the condemnation of reproductive health services.

The commonly-held perception that Trump’s policies have mostly favoured faith communities is wrong unless you’re a member of a conservative white Christian faith, which in recent times includes those of a hard-line white Catholic ideology.

Only last month, Trump launched his campaign’s Catholics for Trump coalition in a bid to reach more Catholic voters. When Cardinal Dolan publicly endorsed the former president four years ago with the words “we need you more than ever”, Trump must have almost passed out with excitement.

But what price will cozying up to Trump cost one of America’s most senior leaders of over 70 million Catholics, most of whom have never heard of the Al Smith annual dinner, including those who live in poverty; those Catholics who have had their food stamps programmes gutted? And let’s not forget Trump’s famous wall. Surely Cardinal Dolan knows that his church encourages us to build bridges, not walls?

Is it not all a sham that during the same week as his appearance at the glitzy fundraiser, Trump turned his hand to a couple of hours working at Mcdonald's in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania, where he served customers in the drive-thru section? Pennsylvania, the Keystone State, clinched victory for Biden in 2020.

Trump and his friend Cardinal Dolan share much in common, including their expensive tastes in fashion. Trump has a passion for Brioni suits and shirts, their spokesman commenting that his suits are bespoke “and the silhouette and fabrics follow his personal requirements”.

In his 2004 book Think Like a Millionaire, Trump writes: “Elevate your tastes; don’t stagnate in the mediocre-to-good category.” His jewellery comes from Tiffany, Asprey and Fred Leighton. However, his tastes in fashion aren’t exactly reflected in his favourite meal: two Big Macs, two Filet-O-Fishes, fries and a large vanilla milkshake — 2,430 calories on a tray. No doubt he felt at home behind the fryer.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

Cardinal Dolan also has expensive tastes, if a little more limited in choice because of his job. He has been known to visit Gammarelli’s tailor shop on the Via di Santa Chiara whenever he’s in Rome. There are no suits or ties here, only walls and shelves full of bright red robes, purple sashes and gold-coloured vestments.

He lives in a 15,000-square-foot mansion worth more than €40m on Madison Avenue, in one of the priciest corridors of Manhattan, a symbol of paleoconservative Catholic America.

A world away from Al Smith’s upbringing in a tiny flat on the Lower East Side back at the start of the 20th century — a time many suspect the Catholic Church would like to drag us back to, and no doubt could if Trump and Dolan continue what many see as a worrying liaison joined at the hip.