Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan is expressing hope for a religious revival as Christians all over the world commemorate the beginning of the Lenten season this Ash Wednesday.
The Cardinal reacted to Asbury University’s 24/7 worship service that lasted over 13 days as Americans from all over the country flocked to the Kentucky town to praise Jesus Christ.
“This is extraordinarily good news,” he told Martha MacCallum. “What perks me up is that this was all unplanned. This was all spontaneous. This was innovative. This was grassroots. This wasn’t something choreographed or anticipated. This is just sincere, genuine students who felt the need for prayer, God’s word, companionship and faith and just were driven to keep at it, to persevere in prayer, as Jesus tells us to in the Gospel.”
Dolan, who is an American historian by training, reflected on how the United States was founded upon religious roots as preachers brought together thousands of people to praise God and ask for his guidance.
THIS ASH WEDNESDAY, DISCOVER THAT LENT ISN’T WHAT YOU THINK IT IS
Pope Francis during the public audience of Confindustria in the Paul VI Hall at Vatican City on Sept. 12, 2022. (Grzegorz Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
“In a moment of faith, this is how America kind of came to be,” he told Fox News. “The historians say that’s the first time Americans looked around and said, ‘We’re a people. We’re something different. We are one nation under God.’ So, maybe this is going to…spark some type of religious revival in the country that everybody kind of admits we need.”
Universities were founded on the belief that there is an alignment between faith and reason, God’s greatest gifts to humanity spiritually and naturally.
“Our founding fathers knew this that without some religion, they didn’t quite care which one, without some faith in religion, democracy was always going to be in peril.”
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Ash Wednesday reminds Christians that they are sinners in need of God’s mercy and He has not abandoned them, the Cardinal explained.
“We’ve marked ourselves saying, ‘I’m a sinner. I stand in need of God’s grace and mercy. I’m not giving up on Him. He is not giving up on me and I’m going to start 40 days of prayer and self-denial and outreach and love to others and I can rekindle in me that religious fire that I know is deep down within,’” he said. “That’s the meaning of ashes. That’s the invitation of Lent.”
Fox News’ Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.