Where has pandering to an adversary gotten the Catholic Church? Four years ago Fr. Jenkins, the president of Notre Dame found "common ground" with Obama on the abortion issue.

Critics blasted Jenkins' decision in May 2008 for allowing then candidate Obama to give the commencement address at the Catholic institution. The ethical dilemma rested on no less than the difference between Notre Dame's "culture of life" theology vs. Obama's "culture of death" pro-abortion philosophy.

Then there was Obamacare. Led by Sr. Carol Keehan of the Catholic Health Association, liberal Catholics met with Obama in 2009 before the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. The President assured them the healthcare law would not require Church affiliated nonprofits, schools and businesses to violate the tenets of their religion by mandating that their health plans cover FDA approved contraceptives and abortifacients.

Keehan and her liberal followers like Sr. Simone Campbell of the social justice organization NETWORK told conservative naysayers this legislation was not going to fund abortions. They were wrong.

Jenkins, Keehan and Campbell found out just how dirty the Obama administration can play when in January 2012 the President chose the anniversary of Roe v. Wade to go back on his word and mandate employer-based health insurance cover various forms of birth control for all women, even those employed by Catholic institutions.

A backlash ensued which forced Obama to use an accounting trick to shift the cost burden from employer to the insurance companies. This didn't address the conscience protections for religious workers.

After all of the backstabbing by Team Obama some progressives in the Catholic Church still continue their friendly association with the president or his cabinet members.

Jesuit-run Georgetown University invited pro-abortion Health and Human Services Secretary Katheleen Sebelius to speak last May 18 in one of its commencement ceremonies at the Public Policy Institute.

Now Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York will host Barack Obama, along with Mitt Romney, at the annual Al Smith dinner on October 18--two weeks before the November election.

In light of the fact the Archdiocese of New York is suing the administration over its contraception mandate isn't this inappropriate?

A spokesman for the Archdiocese told the New York Times "It is the tradition of the Smith dinner to invite the presidential candidates in the presidential election years in the spirit of nonpartisanship, good humor and good fellowship."

When both Obama and McCain attended the dinner in 2008, the church had to know Obama was pro-abortion; but they didn't know the extent to which Obamacare would threaten our freedom of religion and conscience. Now, it's an all-out war between the church and the president.

Are the thirty pieces of silver Cardinal Dolan expects to fundraise for "health care causes" a fair exchange for 50 million aborted babies? Is the Cardinal "agreeing to disagree" with Obama?

Sometimes traditions need to evolve; perhaps this is one of those times.

Obama's and Sebelius' policies have led directly to the deaths of unborn innocents. Why would the cardinal play politics when the president has mandated away our religious liberty?

An AT commenter said it best: "you are judged by the company you keep... the people who enable the liberal agenda are just as guilty as the politicians who enact it."

Read more M. Catharine Evans at Potter Williams Report