Cardinal Dolan says Trump’s faith journey reflects America’s turn to God in challenging times

As Christmas approaches, the message of hope shining in the darkness may seem more relevant than ever.

Whether driven by the burdens of a corrupt world, personal grief, or the gloom that prevails during the short days of winter, people seem to be increasingly drawn to the search for light.

That’s the message to take from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, who leads Midnight Mass this Christmas.

Cardinal Dolan shared this sentiment during an exclusive sit-down interview with Maria Bartiromo at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, where he reflected on signs that Americans are rejecting the “caricature” of the faith. ,Disgusting, destructive, harmful and antiquated,” which led to increased sales of the Bible and other books on spirituality.

“There seems to be a new appreciation for the role of faith, especially in our country,” he told the “Sunday Morning Futures” host.

“I think President Trump took advantage of that. I’ve had conversations with him before. He was very clear (that) he can’t say he was raised as a very devout Christian, but He takes his Christianity seriously. He has a lot of memories about Norman Vincent Peale, the famous preacher on Fifth Avenue in New York, and I think that’s what he means.

He further said, “I think In a way, the murder attempts were renewed‘I feel like there’s something beyond me that’s watching over me, and it’s a task for me.’ And what he expresses personally seems to be expressed more and more around the world. And that’s part of America.”

maybe there Is He suggested looking at something bigger around the world, pointing to former President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II, two figures whose contributions helped define the latter half of the 20th century.

They both survived assassination attempts by becoming very close to each other, each helping to make the world what it is today.

“When the two of them met for the first time, Ronald Reagan told Pope St. John Paul II, ‘Mother Teresa told me that she thought the Lord saved me because the Lord had saved me and Pope St. John Paul Have something special in mind.” I smiled and said, ‘He told me the same thing.’ They both believed in it, and look what they were able to accomplish. Because of them the world changed for the better,” he reflected.

Cardinal Dolan walked with Bartiromo on the grounds of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and showed him a picture of imprisoned Hong Kong freedom fighter Jimmy Lai, which depicted Jesus Christ crucified.

As billions of people around the world prepare to celebrate the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays, Dolan says his message at the midnight hour will focus on “the triumph of light.”

“God always invites us to step outside of ourselves. This gives us hope.”