BUCK writes:

Charlie Rose, Norah O’Donnell, and Jane Pauley interviewed Cardinal Dolan whose responses reminded me of Baghdad Bob’s unshakeable, counterfactual art of the spin: “On this occasion, I am not going to mention the number of the infidels who were killed and the number of destroyed vehicles. The operation continues.”

My transcription:

Charlie Rose:  Is this an example of Pope Francis trying to take the church in new directions, open it up without changing or assaulting doctrine?

Cardinal Dolan: Yea, that’s a good way to put it, Charlie. I’d say you’re on to something. Pope Francis has the same challenge that any successor of St. Peter, any pope would have; namely, how to be true to the timeless, unchanging teaching of the Church, yet, but trying to put fine, creative, fresh, invigorating ways to present it. Pope Francis has captured the imagination of the world in trying to do that, and this would be a good example. Yea, I think you’re on to something.

Charlie Rose: So, how deep is the division over what he is trying to do?

Cardinal Dolan: I note a remarkable unanimity and enthusiastic backing of the Holy Father’s attempt to present the teaching of the Church in a fresh and exciting and enchanting new way. There’s unanimity there, Charlie. There might be some good, deep discussion – you bet there is – on the way that’s being expressed. This was a draft document, a first stage of what’s going to be the result of our two good weeks here in Rome. All of this is almost like antipasto to help the Holy Father arrive at a fresh new way to teach the timeless teachings of the Church on marriage and family.

Norah O’Donnell: Cardinal, this report, which was written by a committee hand picked by Pope Francis – I read through it, it’s eleven pages – I want to go specifically to the part that has become so controversial. There’s a section that says: “Welcoming homosexual persons”, and it says this “Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer the Christian community. Are we capable of welcoming these people, gauranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities?” How ground breaking is it for the Catholic Church to raise even that question about whether the Catholic Church should welcome gay people into their community?

Cardinal Dolan: Look, you’re talking to the Archbishop of New York. I find it news that some people still consider this news, Norah. You know yourself, you’re as familier with beautiful parishes and archdioceses at home who are already doing this. Who are already saying, “Come on in, you are welcome here. This is a community of people trying our best to respond to the teaching of Jesus Christ, to open ourselves up to His grace, so that we can live His message fully, and to seek His mercy when we can’t. It’s a tribute to Pope Francis that he’s affirming this positive embrace of the Church and calling us to make it even more dynamic [dynamic means constant change. He just said “how to be true to the timeless, unchanging teaching of the church”]

Norah O’Donnell: Then why has your friend and colleague, Cardinal Burke, said that; this entire document (waves it in hand) which raises that question about whether gay people should be welcome in the church, said “it’s confused, it’s erroneous” and that “this whole thing should be scrapped”. (On screen text: “I certainly hope that this document will be set aside completely…to present the Church’s true teaching…”)

Cardinal Dolan: (laughing) Well, I think he’s right. He’s picked up on a sign that a lot of bishops – and I would include myself – feel that it needs some major re-working. But, I can assure you Cardinal Burke would be part of that enthusiastic unity, in thinking that anything we can do to welcome people into the church, anything that we can do to invite them to hear again the saving invitation and conversion of heart that comes from Jesus Christ. Let’s do it. So, he’s for that. He’s got a good point, and is speaking for a good number of people and saying: Boy, this document is a rough draft, does it ever need major revision. That’s what we’re doing, that’s the purpose of the synod, to take that intial document and rework. We’ve been laboring hard over the last two days, Norah, to do that. And so, thanks for payin attention to that first draft. I hope you’ll give as careful consideration to the ultimate relatsio that comes out in a matter of days.

Jane Pauley: But, this does seem to go, rather significantly further than what a lay person might describe as mere FRESHENING ( a look of serious incredulity on her face)

Cardinal Dolan: One of the major obstacles we got today is the caricature, the sterotype that’s out there of constantly being no, no, no; constantly telling God’s people what they can’t do. They’ve heard me say often: we’ve heard popes – John Paul II, Benedict the XVI – now, in an extraordinarily effective way, Pope Francis saying: the Church isn’t about no’s, the church is about a big resounding YES to everything that is good and noble and beautiful and dignified and genuine and liberating in the human person. That’s the message that we’re trying to get across. The church isn’t some nag, some scold, that’s always no to the beauty, the truth, to the goodness of the human project. We’re there to emphasize it, to strengthen it, to affirm it.

Charlie Rose: Cardinal Dolan, we’ll wait for the final draft. We thank you for joining us this morning. We’ll see you back in New York.

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