Catholics missing from list of prayer leaders for Obama inaugural ceremonies

January 14, 2009

President-elect Obama has asked 9 ministers to lead prayers at different events during his inaugural celebration; all of them are Protestant. Steven Waldman of Beliefnet notes that in the past, "Presidents typically made a point of including a Catholic and, often, a Jew." The National Catholic Register wonders whether the failure to include a Catholic is coincidental, noting that-- in another break from recent practice-- the Archbishop of Denver was not asked to deliver an invocation at this year's Democratic national convention.

 

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Further information:

• Barack Shuns Catholic Prayers (National Catholic Register)
• Gene Robinson, Rick Warren and The Inaugural Prayer Thicket (Steven Waldman, Belieftnet.com)