The Archbishop of New York — and President of the USCCB — will be visiting Albany next month with several other bishops from around the state. And the governor doesn’t have time to meet with him.
From the New York Daily News:
Apparently stung by a Vatican adviser’s slap at his lifestyle, Gov. Cuomo has declared a holy war with the Catholic Church – saying he’s too busy to meet the state’s bishops here next week.
The Catholic governor, recently roasted over his live-in girlfriend, declared his schedule too crowded to squeeze in Archbishop Timothy Dolan and the other prelates.
The group arrives here next week for the state’s annual Catholic Conference – and historically meets with the governor to discuss a variety of issues.
Conference officials said they reached out to Cuomo about a month ago and got word only Wednesday that he couldn’t make it.
Only disgraced ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer has skipped the get-together, not wanting to meet with the religious leaders on the same day his 2008 hooker scandal exploded.
“That is the only time in recent history that there hasn’t been a meeting,” said Catholic Conference spokesman Dennis Poust.
Poust said more than a dozen bishops will be attending, including Nicholas DiMarzio from Brooklyn and William Murphy from Rockville Centre.
They anticipated meeting with Cuomo to discuss state funding for education, gay marriage and the Reproductive Health Act – the latter two are opposed by the bishops.
“It is always a good exchange of positions,” Poust said. “We always welcome the opportunity to present our views.”
Asked if the bishops were upset by Cuomo’s religious rebuff, Poust replied, “I am sure the governor is very busy, so we will take him at his word.”
About the Deacon
Deacon Greg Kandra is a Roman Catholic deacon serving the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York. A veteran broadcast journalist, Deacon Greg worked for 26 years as a writer and producer for CBS News in both New York and Washington. He now serves as the Executive Editor of ONE, the acclaimed magazine published by the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA). Deacon Greg has been honored with every major award in broadcasting, including two George Foster Peabody Awards, two Emmy Awards, and four awards from the Writers Guild of America.
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