On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. A significant aspect of the ceremony was the participation of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, who led the opening prayer. This marked the second time Cardinal Dolan had been invited to perform this honor, having previously done so during Trump’s 2017 inauguration.
Cardinal Dolan’s Involvement
Cardinal Dolan confirmed his participation in an interview with WPIX on December 24, 2024. He shared, “The president was kind enough to ask me to do the opening prayer. He had asked me to do the one in 2016 too, so [when] he asked me this time, I said, ‘Well I did it eight years ago; I hope this one works.'”
During the interview, Cardinal Dolan discussed President Trump’s spiritual journey, noting that the president “takes his Christian faith seriously.” He recounted a conversation where he reminded Trump of the meeting between Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II, both of whom survived assassination attempts. Dolan said, “I reminded [Trump] that when Ronald Reagan visited John Paul II, both of them had been victims of vicious assassination attempts and barely escaped alive. And Ronald Reagan said, ‘Holy Father, Mother Teresa told me that God spared my life because he’s got something important for me to accomplish’ and John Paul II grinned at him and said, ‘Mr. President, Mother Teresa told me the same thing, so why don’t the two of us work together and get something done in the world?'”
The Opening Prayer
While the specific content of Cardinal Dolan’s 2025 inaugural prayer has not been detailed, during the 2017 inauguration, he read from King Solomon’s prayer in the Book of Wisdom, seeking divine guidance and wisdom for the nation’s leaders. This choice underscored the importance of humility and reliance on higher wisdom in governance.
In addition to the inauguration ceremony, President Trump organized an interfaith service on January 19, 2025, a day before the inauguration. This service aimed to bring together various religious leaders, emphasizing unity and shared values among different faith communities.
Vatican’s Response
Following President Trump’s election victory, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, extended congratulations and expressed hopes for wisdom in leadership. He stated, “We congratulate” the new president of the United States, Donald Trump, and “we wish him much wisdom” to also “overcome polarizations.” Cardinal Parolin emphasized the need for the president to work towards being a leader for the entire country, aiming to bridge divisions and promote peace.