The World and Everything in It: February 25, 2026

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LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Good morning!

The president delivers the State of the Union address as some Democrats boycott.

TRUMP: A short time ago we were a dead country. Now, we are the hottest country anywhere in the world, the hottest. 

NICK EICHER, HOST: That’s ahead on Washington Wednesday. Hunter Baker is standing by.

Also today: an assisted suicide bill in Europe.

And later: how teens are trading wallflower nerves for confident turns across the floor.

WILSON: So many parents … brought their son, … not wanting to come to any kind of dance thing.

And WORLD commentator Daniel Suhr on a Catholic culture warrior.

MAST: It’s Wednesday, February 25th. This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. 

I’m Lindsay Mast.

EICHER: And I’m Nick Eicher. Good morning!

MAST: Up next, Kent Covington with today’s news.

AUDIO: Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States.

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: State of the Union: President Trump last night delivered his first official State of the Union address of his second term.

He focused heavily on the economy, touting, among other things, foreign investments he has secured in the United States.

TRUMP:  As thousands of new businesses are forming at factories, plants and laboratories are being built. We have added 70,000 new construction jobs in just a very short period of time.

And he said his policies have helped bring down consumer prices, noting recent reductions in core inflation.

The president also addressed the Supreme Court ruling last week regarding his sweeping use of tariffs … calling that decision “unfortunate.”

TRUMP:  But the good news is that almost all countries and corporations want to keep the deal that they already made.

He also said his tariff policies would remain … now under different legal frameworks.

On foreign policy and national defense … Trump suggested that the United States is prepared to take military action against Iran … if necessary.

He said after targeted strikes against Iranian nuclear targets last year, Tehran was warned about pursuing nuclear weapons, but those warnings were not heeded.

TRUMP:  We are in negotiations with 'em. They wanna make a deal, but we haven't heard those secret words. We will never. Have a nuclear weapon. My preference …

The president highlighted efforts to end wars, including a peace deal between Israel and the Hamas terror group that ended that full-scale war in Gaza.

Trump also touted a more secure southern border and immigration enforcement … and called for an end to so-called sanctuary cities nationwide.

SOTU Democrat response » But in the Democrat response to his address, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger blasted immigration enforcement under Trump, claiming …

SPANBERGER:  Our president has sent poorly trained federal agents into our cities where they have arrested and detained American citizens and people who aspire to be Americans, and they have done it without a warrant.

Spanberger offered a sharp contrast to President Trump’s depiction of the nation as being in a “golden age.”

She argued that the president has not delivered on his economic promises, including on inflation.

SPANBERGER:  So I'll ask again. Is the President working to make life more affordable for you and your family? We all know the answer is no.

She insisted that families are still struggling under Trump’s policies.

It’s a message that Democrats plan to carry nationwide ahead of the midterm elections this year.

DHS shutdown » Hours earlier in the Senate…

PRESIDING OFFICER: The ayes are 50. The nays are 45 … the motion is not agreed to.

…a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security again failed to pass a key hurdle…as a partial government shutdown continues into day ten.

WORLD’s Harrison Watters has more from Washington.

HARRISON WATTERS: Before the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans continue to reject policy changes to immigration enforcement that Democrats insist on:

SCHUMER: They have not budged on the key issues, like masks, like warrants, like oversight from state authorities.

WATTERS: Immigration and Customs Enforcement was already fully funded before the shutdown. … But many employees at TSA and the Coast Guard are working without knowing when they will receive their next full paycheck.

And with planning in progress for America 250 celebrations and the FIFA World Cup later this year, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters:

JOHNSON: Obviously, we need the protection of a fully funded Department of Homeland Security.

WATTERS: Senate Republicans need seven Democrats to cross the aisle in order to break a filibuster and pass new funding.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Harrison Watters…in Washington.

SCOTUS post office ruling » The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Americans cannot sue the U.S. Postal Service, even in cases where postal workers deliberately refuse to deliver mail.

The decision came in a lawsuit from a Texas landlord, Lebene Konan, who said her mail and her tenants’ mail was withheld for two years … and that racial bias played a role.

The court’s majority said existing law shielding the Postal Service from lawsuits covers these situations.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the dissent, saying protections shouldn’t apply when workers act with “malicious reasons.”

Ukraine 4-year anniversary » Ukraine marked a grim anniversary on Tuesday.

DICARLO: Four years after the Russian Federation launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine. The war remains a stain on our collective conscience.

United Nations Under-Secretary Rosemary DiCarlo there … reading remarks on behalf of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Guterres' statement went on to characterize the death toll from Russia’s war with Ukraine as catastrophic … and call for an immediate ceasefire.

Meanwhile in Ukraine…

SOUND: [Zaporizhzhia attack]

...the attacks continued. Firefighters battled a blaze in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia yesterday...after an overnight Russian airstrike.

ZELENSKYY: [Speaking Ukrainian]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used his address on the anniversary of the war to call on President Trump to visit Ukraine personally … to witness the destruction firsthand.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Analysis of the president’s State of the Union address on Washington Wednesday. Plus … an assisted suicide bill in Europe.

This is The World and Everything in It.

I'm Kent Covington. 

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: It’s Wednesday, February 25th. Glad to have you along for today’s edition of The World and Everything in It. Good morning, I’m Lindsay Mast.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. Time now for our State of the Union edition of Washington Wednesday!

And joining us is political scientist Hunter Baker. He is a WORLD Opinions contributor and Provost at North Greenville University. Hunter, good morning.

HUNTER BAKER: Good morning.

EICHER: Well, Hunter, long night last night. The longest ever State of the Union address. As someone might say, he put up numbers like we’ve never seen before in the history of this country — an hour and 48 minutes.

But apart from that, and at the risk of sounding a bit partisan here, I was actually surprised by the behavior of the Democrats. They would not stand up for anything. I mean, they stood up for a few things, but they really would not stand up for some very easy things, and that became a theme.

So I want to hear the challenge that the President put out, and let’s just take a moment and listen to that.

DONALD TRUMP: If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support. The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not Illegal aliens.

Now, Hunter, I have to say, when he said — and he noted that they would not stand up for that — “these people are crazy,” and I found myself in pretty vigorous agreement.

Did the Democrats step in it last night?

BAKER: Certainly this was the situation that he wanted to set up. You ask a question like that and you put them in the awkward position of either seeming to validate him or agree with him by standing up, or distancing themselves from what would seem like an obviously supportable statement.

But I’m going to tell you why I think they did that.

You had this significant boycott. You had 70-plus Democrats who were not there. So first of all, they may have boycotted thinking that something like this might actually happen during the speech.

But the other part — and I think this is really important to understand — is that a significant strategy that the Democrats have is to make the argument that Donald Trump is somehow illegitimate, dangerous, outside of American norms. There are people who regularly speak of him as an authoritarian president, as though he is really not a suitable president under our Constitution.

So when you distance yourself from him that much — by boycotting or by refusing to stand — you’re reinforcing that message.

So I really think what you’re seeing is message discipline on the part of the Democrats.

MAST: Well, Hunter, stepping back — big picture here — what was tonight really about overall? Was this a governing speech? Was it a campaign speech? Was it something else?

BAKER: This is the march to the midterms.

Trump is aware that presidents — their party — typically do badly in the midterm elections. That’s a pattern that’s very well established. He knows that. He knows that if he loses the House, then there will be constant investigations. I think, as Ted Cruz may have said once, you’re going to get impeached every other week.

So he doesn’t want that to happen.

And he also knows that his voters may not show up if he’s not on the ballot.

So I think that what he’s trying to do is nationalize this election. He’s trying to put himself on the ballot without being on the ballot with this kind of very strong, aggressive speech.

MAST: Well, if you strip away the applause lines, what were the most important policy commitments that you were able to discern?

BAKER: He talked about four major things, I think, at least in terms of domestic policy — affordability, immigration, crime, and related to crime would be fraud.

In fact, I think that one of the most interesting lines in the whole thing — and really that kind of sets a tone for the rest of his presidency — was something that he said about JD Vance.

I wonder if we could listen to a clip from the speech.

DONALD TRUMP: But when it comes to the corruption that is plundering -- really, it's plundering America. There's been no more stunning example than Minnesota, where members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion from the American taxpayer. We have all the information and, in actuality, the number is much higher than that.

And California, Massachusetts, Maine and many other states are even worse. This is the kind of corruption that shreds the fabric of a nation, and we are working on it like you wouldn't believe. So, tonight, although started four months ago, I am officially announcing the war on fraud to be led by our great Vice President, JD Vance.

So this is significant, because typically vice presidents have some kind of policy portfolio that belongs to them. For instance, under President Biden, Vice President Harris was supposed to be the point of the spear on immigration, which probably hurt her somewhat in her election campaign because she was seen at least by the electorate, as a failure in that regard — or it was a vulnerability.

So now we have JD Vance being pointed to as the person who’s going to lead in this war against fraud. Trump used some eye-popping numbers talking about $19 billion lost to Somali fraud in Minnesota, and he claimed much more in some other places.

So this would be a significant opportunity for JD Vance to make a name for himself by demonstrating some success in curbing the fraud problem.

EICHER: Well, Hunter, you’ll remember this — Ronald Reagan was the first President ever to invite a special guest to the State of the Union. I went and looked this up. He recognized a government official by the name of Lenny Skutnik.

Skutnik famously jumped into the freezing Potomac River just two weeks earlier than the speech to save a survivor of that terrible Air Florida plane crash up at National Airport.

Every president has had a Skutnik moment ever since that time. Every president has used the technique since President Reagan invented it.

But I have to say, I think President Trump took it to a new level. I think he may have broken not just the length-of-speech record tonight, but the Skutnik record tonight.

Do you think that that was effective? Did he do it too much? What do you say?

BAKER: I think that he definitely had a method at work there.

We sometimes refer to those people as the hero on the balcony. The president points up to the hero on the balcony and offers tribute — typically viewed as a very effective sort of strategy. For once, the president points away from himself and to some more typical American, extolling their virtues or something that they have done.

In this case, you’re right. It was a lot. There were many heroes on the balcony who were pointed to at different points in the speech. Sometimes they had some story that connected to national policy in some way, and sometimes they didn’t.

But I think the reason that he did it the way he did was that this was a very aggressive, attacking kind of speech. It was very intense. There were some moments of real tension in the room as he confronted Democrats.

And I think that he used those hero-on-the-balcony moments to try to relieve the stress a little bit, point to something more positive where possible, and give the viewer or listener a little bit of a break.

MAST: Well, Hunter, the President promised he would cover a lot of ground, and at the length of the speech, he certainly did.

I want to know, though, what did you expect to hear that never came?

BAKER: That’s a good question.

I expected to hear more about America 250. He did talk about it from time to time, but I thought of that as the one obviously positive, bring-the-room-together kind of thing that he could dwell on, and he really didn’t.

I think his memo was: I need to talk about my successes.

So we had a lot about immigration on that front — very strong line: zero illegal immigrants have crossed the border in the last nine months, that sort of thing.

And of course pointing to the kind of things that he’s trying to do to make health care more affordable, and pointing to successes that he’s had in certain local operations on crime — like with Memphis, with New Orleans, and with Washington, D.C.

MAST: Hunter Baker, our regular Washington Wednesday analyst. Thank you so much for the quick turnaround on this one.

BAKER: Thank you.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: World Tour.

A vote by the French National Assembly in the coming days could put in place the most extreme euthanasia law in Europe since Nazi regulations in the 1930s. The vote was set to take place yesterday, but was postponed after lengthy debate left hundreds of amendments still to be considered.

NICK EICHER, HOST: What makes the bill so extreme?

WORLD Global Desk Chief and Europe Reporter Jenny Lind Schmitt has the story.

JENNY LIND SCHMITT: French President Emmanuel Macron wants to leave a legacy when he leaves office next year. At the beginning of his second term in 20-22, he committed to passing a “medical aid in dying” law as part of his progressive agenda. France’s National Assembly will vote on the proposal this week.

Several European countries and U.S. states already have so-called “death with dignity” laws, but critics say this one goes much further.

SEBASTIAN OSTERTAG: This law is extremely radical, and yeah, is the most extreme law proposed since the Nazis.

Sebastian Ostertag is France coordinator for the organization Pro Life Global. He says the proposed law essentially legalizes both assisted suicide–where a person receives prescribed poison to kill themselves–and euthanasia, when a doctor administers the deadly dose.

OSTERTAG: It would legalize it for adults who are sick with either a disease, which, if they do not take treatment, will eventually lead to their deaths, as well as people who are suffering from depression, anxiety, things that are considered severe. So essentially, this would affect people who are mentally ill, and would target the sick and to and theoretically dying.

Developmentally disabled persons with Down syndrome or autism would also be eligible to request euthanasia under the new law.

Another alarming component is the speed at which the requests to die could proceed. Marie-Lys Pellissier is spokesperson for March for Life France.

MARIE-LYS PELLISSIER: La procédure qui est extrêmement Rapide. Vous n'avez que deux jours de réflexion obligatoire et le médecin doit rendre sa décision sous 15 jours mais il peut la rendre sous deux jours aussi. Donc ça voudrait dire en quatre jours l'euthanasier fait par exemple au niveau de la collégialité, le médecin doit demander à

VOICEOVER 1: The process is very fast. There is only a two day required reflection period. Then the doctor must make a decision within 15 days, but he can also deliver his decision in as little as two days. So that means that the euthanasia could happen within as little as four days.

But one of the most troubling things about the proposed law is the inclusion of a legal concept called “delit d’entrave.”

OSTERTAG: The “delit d'entrave” in French, means the crime of intervening. And this is a very uniquely French way of passing laws.

France already has delit d’entrave laws regarding abortion, making it a crime to intervene if someone decides to abort their baby. Under the law, intervention can mean anything from physically blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic to attempting to restrict a woman’s access to abortion information online. The laws make it illegal to do sidewalk counseling near abortion facilities. Even counseling a family member not to get an abortion can be prosecuted.

This proposed assisted dying law treats suicide similarly. It would create a “right to die,” and anyone trying to interfere with that right would be liable for a fine of 30 thousand euros–about 35 thousand U.S. dollars–and up to two years in jail.

OSTERTAG: It would prohibit anyone from attempting to dissuade someone from committing suicide via assisted suicide in euthanasia, it would prohibit anyone from trying to dissuade a doctor from performing a euthanasia. Essentially, if you try to to stop or to interrupt the process of someone requesting or someone ultimately dying by euthanasia, in asssisted suicide, that would be penalized, and it would be considered an attack on their rights.

The Assembly struck down numerous proposed amendments to protect suicide prevention organizations, and the conscience rights of doctors, pharmacists, and psychologists. The bill also has no conscience provision to protect establishments, like religious nursing homes, in spite of testimony from nuns representing the care facilities.

PELLISSIER: Elles ont pris la parole en disant en fait si vous nous imposez cette loi nous on peut pas accepter qu'il y ait l'euthanasie dans notre établissement donc on sera obligé de fermer.

VOICEOVER 2: They said, “we cannot accept euthanasia in our establishment, and so if you impose this law on us, we will be forced to close.”

Pellissier says that without a conscience clause, the law would force many caregivers to quit their jobs. The country already struggles with a low number of caregivers. Losing more would create a situation she says the country’s healthcare system can’t afford.

Ostertag predicts assisted suicide proponents will continue their push. Some National Assembly deputies have already said that the logical next step would be euthanasia for those with non-terminal disabilities or disabled children.

OSTERTAG: And this is a part of the ideology that we must be the masters of our own Destiny and always, including death, It is essentially the total rejection of God and the putting oneself as God.

If the National Assembly votes for the law, the proposal moves on to the Senate, which was largely against the law in the first reading. But if the two chambers can’t find consensus, it’s the Assembly that has the final say.

PELLISSIER: C'est Pas fini et nous on ne perd pas espoir de continuer à Se battre contre ce texte. Et puis même Si jamais, si jamais ça passe, on sera toujours là Pour un jour l'abroger Et pour pouvoir toujours défendre les plus vulnérables.

Pellesier says she–and others who share her conviction that life is precious–will continue working to defend the most vulnerable. Even if doing so comes with a price.

That’s this week’s World Tour. I’m Jenny Lind Schmitt in Delle, France.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Today is Wednesday, February 25th. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Lindsay Mast.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: courage on the dance floor.

A group of teens is learning confidence and courtesy—one simple question at a time: “May I have this dance?”

WORLD correspondent Rachel Coyle has the story from Spartanburg, South Carolina.

RACHEL COYLE: John Wilson is coaching young men not to give in to fear.

JOHN: May I have this dance. Remember those five words if you hear me say, gentlemen, ask the ladies to dance politely, get a young lady's attention and say those five words…

Tonight, nearly 200 young adults fill a gym in Spartanburg, South Carolina. They range in age from 13 to 22. And they’re all here to learn and practice English Country Dancing. The young men must ask a lady to dance and escort her onto the dance floor. John’s wife, Tina, wanders the gym encouraging the newer boys to find a partner.

AUDIO: [You have to dance if you come here.]

Everyone wears jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers to practice. But in a few months it’ll be dark suits or formal dresses for the Image of Splendor Ball.

It’s not a typical teen dance.

TINA: These dances come from like Pride and Prejudice. Emma, just think Jane Austen, anything Jane Austen.

AUDIO: [Carolina Promenade]

These dances are respectful and coordinated. Right now they’re dancing the Carolina Promenade. John calls out the steps as the dancers follow. Standing beside their partners, the dancers form a circle. They skip in unison, turn and skip backwards. This repeats until it’s time for the men to twirl the ladies and switch partners.

Dancers exchange nods and smiles of encouragement. Casual chatter makes it evident that even strangers are learning to be comfortable having fun together.

When the Wilsons first tried English Country Dancing with their 12 children, they didn’t have high hopes.

JOHN: I said, well, our boys are pretty shy. They, you know, don't know that they'll like it. And our friends said, trust me, they'll like it.

It turns out, the whole family did. With no formal training, the Wilsons decided to start their own group. That was 16 years ago.

TINA: I believe that dancing has been stolen by our culture. And that is so sad to me. It is a beautiful gift that God has given us.

For the Wilsons, it’s not about making money. They don’t. And it’s not just about dancing.

JOHN: So one of the things that we do before and after each dance, as we tell, we say, all right, ladies and gentlemen, honor your partner. And honor is a big part of the English country dancing. I'm trying to help the kids and remind us that, you, honoring our Heavenly Father is important as well as honoring each other.

Honor looks like a bow or curtsey. That teaches the dancers to treat each other with respect and humility.

JOHN: We try to emphasize that we want all the boys to be gentlemen. If you see a young lady who's wishing to dance, please be a gentleman and ask them to dance. The gentlemen have the responsibility to make it a fun evening for the ladies.

John reminds the boys of that throughout each practice.

AUDIO: [Sound of John encouraging socializing]

He takes the pressure off by walking the dancers step-by-step through requesting and accepting a dance. He tells them what to do and say, and encourages small talk before each dance.

Still, it doesn’t always feel natural.

TEEN: Just kind of awkward, having to ask other people that you don't know to dance.

TEEN: It is a little awkward, trying to stand out there, just smiling, waiting for somebody to come up and ask you.

TEEN: I definitely have not overcome the awkwardness.

TEEN: It’s been awkward, definitely.

Zachary Bentley has been dancing for 10 years. That was before the group grew so large the Wilsons had to set an age limit. Bentley says it still takes courage to ask a new girl to dance.

BENTLEY: No one can do it for you, so you have to be the one to do it. And so if you're not brave enough to do that, then you're not gonna dance with anybody.

The ladies also have plenty to learn. They have to focus on more subtle social cues—things like not standing in a huddle with other girls. That’s intimidating. Don’t look too serious or angry. Make eye contact with a young man, then look away and he’ll know you’re hoping for a dance partner.

WADE: When a guy comes up to you and asks you to dance, you can respect him more like he had the courage to come up and ask you.

The gentlemen are supposed to find a new lady to dance with each time. John tells ladies to be gracious and accept his invitation. Katie Wade remembers how that felt at first.

WADE: I was just really nervous about, you know, dancing with a complete stranger. And over the years, that's really changed.

Wade is 18 now. But she still remembers her biggest challenge. It’s one that most young people relate to.

WADE: As a teen, all we want to do is fit in. And putting yourself out there is not, you know, it's not fitting in, it's not in the comfort zone. So I guess getting out of that comfort zone would be the hardest part.

Tina says for some boys, that means just getting to the gym to try it out.

TINA: We’ve had so many parents come to us, and they brought their son, kicking and screaming, not wanting to come to any kind of dance thing. And then once they came one time, they're like, Oh, I really love that. I want to go back. Please. Let me go back again.

Many do come back. For every 60 girls there are about 40 boys. The girls have permission to dance together, but not the boys. They have to ask a girl to dance. Chances are, if they do, they’ll share in the fun and laughter of the dancers here tonight. It just requires the courage to say five words:

AUDIO: [Boy] May I have this dance? [Girl] Yes, thank you! [music]

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Rachel Coyle in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Lindsay Mast.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. A familiar Catholic voice in America’s cultural battles has stepped aside this month. WORLD Opinions contributor Daniel Suhr has an appreciation.

DANIEL SUHR: For or more than a decade and a half, one of the most recognizable Catholic voices in America was Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York.

For evangelical Protestants watching the cultural battles of the last two decades, he was something more than a Catholic prelate.

He was an ally.

At his final Sunday Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dolan told the congregation:

DOLAN: The highlight of these past 17 years as your Archbishop has been the honor of offering Sunday mass here at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. This is the bottom of the ninth. This will be my last occasion to do so as Archbishop, which is why I'm so especially grateful for all of your company this morning.

That line — half baseball, half farewell — was classic Dolan.

Warm. Confident. Unflappable.

But beneath the charm was a man who stood firm in some of the fiercest moral debates of our days.

It almost goes without saying that evangelical Protestants have sharp theological differences with Rome. Those differences are not small, and they are not new.

But on life, marriage, religious liberty, and the dignity of the human person, Cardinal Dolan consistently supported what many would recognize as a historic Christian worldview.

During the Obama years, he pushed back forcefully against the contraceptive mandate.

He opposed the redefinition of marriage.

He defended conscience protections.

When New York legalized assisted suicide, he did not soften his words. Listen to this from an interview with the Catholic TV channel E-W-T-N:

DOLAN: Am I shocked? You bet I'm shocked. Am I surprised? I'm not surprised, because why should not the abortion capital of the United States, if not the world? New York now become the euthanasia capital, if human life is cheap, if the dignity of the human person and the sacredness of the human life is not respected, especially when it's most vulnerable, the baby in the womb or grandma in hospice. If human life is thought to be burdensome, then we're in trouble. We're in trouble.

That is not the language of accommodation.

That is the language of conviction.

And he did not hesitate to confront drift inside his own church.

When the University of Notre Dame appointed a prominent pro-abortion advocate to lead an important academic institute, several bishops called for the decision to be rescinded.

Dolan was asked directly whether he agreed.

He did not hedge.

DOLAN: I would agree with him heartily that this is an ill advised appointment. Notre Dame is a light to the world, a salt to the earth, to use the words of Jesus, and it stands again for that double pillar of Catholic social justice, the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of human life, anything that any university, particularly a prominent Catholic one would do to dull that light to the world, we shouldn't do.

That was not a minor internal disagreement.

That was a cardinal insisting that Catholic institutions must not blur their witness on the sanctity of human life.

For Protestants who have long warned Christian colleges against drifting toward cultural approval, that clarity sounded familiar.

Dolan also understood coalition in the public square.

He prayed at President Trump’s inauguration:

DOLAN: We blessed citizens of this one nation under God, humbled by our claim that In God We Trust gather indeed this inauguration day to pray for our president, Donald J Trump, his family, his advisors, his cabinet, his aspirations, his Vice President, we cannot err in relying upon that prayer from the Bible upon which our president will soon place his hand in oath as we make our own, the supplications of King Solomon for wisdom as he began his governance. God of our fathers, in your wisdom, you set man to govern your creatures, to govern in holiness and justice, to render justice with integrity. Give our leader wisdom. If wisdom which comes not from you, be not with him, he shall be held in no esteem. Send wisdom from heavens that she may be with him, that he may know your designs. Please, God bless America.

He served on President Trump’s Commission on Religious Liberty and says he intends to keep showing up.

For Dolan, the public square was never optional. He understood that moral truth must contend for the shape of a civilization. He believed that when Christians withdraw from it, others will define its moral terms — and the consequences reach far beyond politics.

Cardinal Dolan was formed in the era of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI — leaders who saw Christianity as necessarily countercultural when modern society abandoned moral truth.

That generation of bishops is now receding.

Under Pope Francis — and now Pope Leo — Catholic leadership has increasingly emphasized themes that align more comfortably with modern progressive political currents, especially on immigration, economics, and the Church’s posture toward the West.

An era has ended.

When the Roman Catholic Church speaks clearly on life and marriage, it strengthens the broader Christian witness in America.

When its leadership shifts emphasis, the public square shifts with it.

At the end of his farewell Mass, Dolan recalled standing in Rome and noticing something striking:

DOLAN: I saw nothing left of all those earthly powers that tried to take over Rome, but I saw at least 1000 crosses, crosses on tops of the churches throughout the city of Rome. And I thought, this is the beatitudes in steroids. This is topsy turvy values

Empires fade. The Church endures.

But even though Dolan’s time in New York ended in the bottom of the ninth, there may yet be extra innings.

And for many evangelical Protestants who found in him a steady Catholic ally in America’s moral struggles, that is welcome news.

For WORLD, I’m Daniel Suhr.

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Tomorrow: A teacher says “no” to LGBT books in his classroom. And, the high cost of regulated rent in New York City. That and more tomorrow.

I’m Lindsay Mast.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

The World and Everything in It comes to you from WORLD Radio. WORLD’s mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates, and inspires.

The Bible records Jesus being asked, “‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.’” —Mark 12:29-31

Go now in grace and peace.

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