Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others. —St. Thomas More
It is a decidedly Catholic quality to take oneself lightly and bring levity to the heaviest situations. In the heat of American politics, therefore, it is fitting that a Catholic event be the occasion for some lightheartedness. But Catholic animus on the Left is keeping its members from falling from the coconut tree to have a laugh with Catholics.
The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, named for the first Catholic to run for president of the United States—he ran in 1928—has raised millions for Catholic charities in the Archdiocese of New York ever since 1946. After presidential rivals John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon attended together in 1960, it became a tradition for presidential nominees to attend this black-tie event and exchange playful barbs. The $5,000-a-plate fundraiser has seen many opponents crack jokes at each other’s expense in a hammy but humanizing evening of humor.
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That tradition was broken in 1984 when Democrat Walter Mondale turned the invitation down—and proceeded to lose 49 out of 50 states to Ronald Reagan, noted Cardinal Timothy Dolan cheekily, who has hosted the dinner for many years. And it will be broken again on October 17 with Kamala Harris’ inability to attend—and, presumably, to lighten up.
Cardinal Dolan has expressed the archdiocese’s disappointment over this, especially given the contentious atmosphere of this election cycle, saying that he was “looking forward to giving the vice president an enthusiastic welcome.” The cardinal went on to say, “We’re not used to this, we don’t know how to handle it,” and that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, of New York, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul are “working hard to convince her to come.” But it seems that it is Madame Vice President who is not used to the prospect of being the butt of a merry joke or how to handle a little laughter that harms no one.
Donald Trump will be there with bells on, however, as he was when he ran against Hillary Clinton in 2016 and at the 2020 virtual version when he ran against Joe Biden. Ever the showman, the Donald can take it as much as he can dish it out, given the tough, yet thin-skinned paradox that he amusingly is. Of course, he has had things to say about Harris’ decline, which posted on Truth Social was consistent with her “history of anti-Catholic actions.”
“It’s sad, but not surprising, that Kamala has decided not to attend,” Trump blasted. “I don’t know what she has against our Catholic friends, but it must be a lot because she certainly has not been very nice to them. In fact,” Trump went on, “Catholics are literally being persecuted by this Administration. Any Catholic that votes for Comrade Kamala Harris should have their head examined…”
While it would have been pleasant and poignant to see Mr. Trump smirk over at Ms. Harris after saying these words at the podium as she and everyone laughed, America will not have the chance to have any such high-spirited letup. Apparently, Kamala’s hatred for Catholics is no laughing matter; and, apparently, she will not abide being made fun of—even for charity.
Unfortunately, Trump will probably be surrounded at that dinner by Catholics who should have their head examined, like the liberal-leaning Catholic comedian Jim Gaffigan who will be MCing the dinner this year and who expresses his contempt for Trump loud and clear on social media. “I’m not a good Catholic,” Gaffigan has said, “If there was a test for Catholics, I would fail. But then again, most Catholics would fail, which is probably why there’s not a test.”
He has a point there, as good jokes often do. The “Church of Nice” is seducing a startling number of pew sitters to the anti-Catholic Harris-Walz ticket, making Harris perhaps feel she already has the Catholic vote and doesn’t need to risk attending a roast with her awkward timing and difficulty thinking on her feet.
Either that or her Catholic animus runs deep enough that she doesn’t have any desire to rub elbows and share a jovial dinner with those who don’t believe a woman has the right to terminate the life of a human being growing inside of her body. Kamala Harris may keep repeating her one-liner, “we have so much more in common than what separates us,” as she did in her wild word-salad Oprah interview; “we see in each other a friend, a neighbor,” but that rings about as hollow as a bad joke given her snub.
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So much for her happy-warrior joy theme. So much for the civility she modeled by pointedly shaking hands with Trump before the debate. So much for the prospect of bipartisanship as she pulls a page from the current liberal playbook and won’t even be caught in the same room as Donald Trump, let alone having a laugh with him. God forbid.
Harris’ rejection of a night of humor hosted by Catholics is a rejection of Catholic anthropology. The Catholic case for humor holds that an atmosphere of moral relaxation fosters moral fortitude. Though all are prone to immorality, the joker presents that tendency in a laughing pedagogy rooted in realism. Jokes are ontological, recognizing human fallibility and feelings without condemnation or consent. Allowing good humor to occupy a lively corner on the horizon of a Catholic worldview fends off the heresy that earthly foibles are evil. God gave man a sense of humor. That is, He gave us the ability to recognize disorder with delight and see that life is more of a comic thing rather than a corrupt thing.
The sillier sides of life may deal with the rude or rough, but good-hearted jests and jibes play with things that most people avoid acknowledging in a manner that they become delightful—and can actually draw man closer to God by demonstrating with humility and hilarity how much he needs Him. Affable jabs are little winks at fallen nature, acknowledging the reality of every person’s imperfection—which is the first step in overcoming imperfection. Chipper ad hominem humor invites laughter as a fitting response to the ridiculous, though there may be a satirical edge to it, as there always is at the Al Smith Dinner.
