The Al Smith Dinner is an annual charity gala organized by the Archdiocese of New York, held in honor of Alfred E. Smith, the first Catholic nominee for President of the United States. This event raises money for Catholics, brings together leaders from politics, media, celebrities, and other elites, and is traditionally attended by U.S. presidential candidates. Since 1960, it has been customary for the major-party presidential candidates to attend the dinner in person during election years.
This year, the Al Smith Dinner was held on October 17, 2024. Kamala Harris did not attend in person but rather sent a video recorded message to those in attendance. It was reported that Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan was “upset” that she was not attending. [1] Donald Trump did attend the dinner, which was televised nationwide. In her prerecorded speech, Kamala Harris said that she would never say anything negative against Catholics and praised the charitable work that the Catholic Church does. She urged Catholics and everyone else to put aside their differences, find common ground, work together across the divide, and to build a better future with faith in God.
Donald Trump publicly attacked Kamala Harris for not personally attending the Al Smith Dinner and called it an act of great disrespect to the Catholic community, to which the public applauded. Donald Trump then turned to Roman Catholic Timothy Dolan and told him that he was not going to miss this event. Trump then asked the Catholics present that they had to vote for him and reminded them that he was present and Kamala Harris was not. He also praised the work of the Catholic Church and the Catholic community and expressed how he worked with Cardinal Dolan to send “billions” of US dollars to help Catholic education which was suffering during the Covid pandemic.
In this election season, we are seeing how politicians, in order to gain the favor and approval of powerful religious groups, are submitting and bowing to Rome. At the Al Smith Dinner, both Republican and Democratic politicians used this platform to court the Catholic vote by praising the Catholic Church and its contributions to society. Recognizing the strong sway that religious leaders and communities can have over voters, both Trump and Harris are making statements that demonstrate their willingness to align their message and policies with Rome.
Politicians who appeal to Roman Catholics for their support during elections frequently pay a higher price afterwards, as the church will expect them to toe the Catholic line when calls for Sunday laws are revived once again in America. Whenever we see presidential candidates flirting with the papal power of Bible prophecy, these actions will always result in the worst possible outcome.
“Protestants have tampered with and patronized popery; they have made compromises and concessions which papists themselves are surprised to see, and fail to understand. Men are closing their eyes to the real character of Romanism, and the dangers to be apprehended from her supremacy. The people need to be aroused to resist the advances of this most dangerous foe to civil and religious liberty” (Great Controversy, p, 566),
“The dignitaries of church and State will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance” (Great Controversy, p. 592).
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