Former Milwaukee Archbishop Takes On Obama, Wades Into National Politics

Now the Archbishop in New York City, former Milwaukee church leader Timothy Dolan goes after President Obama on gay marriage.

The nation's top Catholic bishop issued a stern challenge to the Obama administration's decision not to support a federal ban on gay marriage, and warned the president that his policies could "precipitate a national conflict between church and state of enormous proportions."

In a letter sent Tuesday (Sept. 20), Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, who heads the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he and other prelates have grown increasingly concerned since the administration announced last February that it would no longer defend the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act in court. 

The Obama administration says it believes the law that defines marriage as between one man and one woman is unconstitutional.

And is establishing a staffed committee to address other issues in a national campaign year:

U.S. Catholic bishops, concerned about Obama administration policies on birth control and gay rights that they say see as an unprecedented "assault" on the rights of faith groups, have established a watchdog panel to combat threats to "religious freedom.

The new Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty was launched by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and unveiled by the USCCB's president, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, on Friday (Sept. 30).

The establishment of a committee -- which signals a top priority for the hierarchy -- represents another escalation in the Catholic bishops' increasingly tense and public battle with President Obama as the 2012 presidential campaign season gets underway.

I wonder what the reaction will be?