Al Smith is spinning in his grave

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Oct 21, 2016

Has the Al Smith Dinner Ceased to Be a Worthwhile Event for the Catholic Church?

That’s the question raised by Thomas McArdle in a column that appears in the National Catholic Register. Is there anyone out there who wouldn’t answer Yes?

Sure, the white-tie dinner raises lots of money for the archdiocesan charities. Great. But there are other ways to raise funds, without providing a forum for (as McArdle put it) “politicians with whom Catholic Democrat Al Smith himself might well be ashamed to be seen.”