Kirk’s death was, without question, a tragic loss of a young father and husband. But compassion does not require canonization. To elevate Kirk to sainthood is to rewrite the moral ledger of his public life.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, speaks during the 60th Annual Appeal of Conscience Awards in New York Monday.Diane Bondareff/AP

The fatal shooting of right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk unleashed vitriolic and unhinged responses from every point on the political spectrum.

Few have been as bewildering and tone-deaf as Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s.

In the days following Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University, Dolan, the archbishop of New York, called Kirk a “modern-day St. Paul,” a “missionary,” an “evangelist” and a “hero.”

As a Black Catholic, I was not only stunned but deeply wounded by Dolan’s tribute.

As the Sisters of Charity of New York wrote in a rare public rebuke, “What Cardinal Dolan may not have known is that many of Mr. Kirk’s words were marked by racist, homophobic, transphobic, and anti-immigrant rhetoric, by violent pro-gun advocacy, and by the promotion of Christian nationalism.” To liken Kirk to St. Paul, they warned, “risks confusing the true witness of the Gospel and giving undue sanction to words and actions that hurt the very people Jesus calls us to love.”

This is not a minor theological disagreement. It is a clash over the moral compass of the church in a time of political extremism and rising violence.

Charlie Kirk was not a quiet disciple. He was a slick political operative who chased fame through confrontation and sensationalism. As director of the right-wing activist group Turning Point USA and host of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” he amplified divisive rhetoric, often targeting LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, people of color and even Pope Francis himself. He called the pontiff “heretical” and “corrupt” and rejected papal primacy until earlier this year.

To lionize Kirk is to endorse his unequivocally racist pronouncements questioning the qualifications of Black professionals and declaring that Black women in positions of authority “had to go steal a white person’s slot,” because they “do not have the brain processing power” to be taken seriously.

This flies in the face of everything my faith represents to me.

Kirk’s death was, without question, a tragic loss of a young father and husband. But compassion does not require canonization. And grace does not demand historical amnesia. To elevate Kirk to sainthood is to rewrite the moral ledger of his public life.

The church has long struggled with how to respond to political figures who claim religious conviction while sowing division. In this case, Dolan’s remarks were not just a personal reflection — they were a public endorsement, broadcast to millions and delivered with the authority of one of the most prominent Catholic leaders in America.

The backlash was, rightfully, swift and wide-ranging. Catholic scholars, laypeople and clergy warned that Dolan’s comments could alienate marginalized communities and undermine the church’s commitment to justice and inclusion. The National Catholic Reporter accused Dolan and other conservative prelates of “myth-making” and warned “our discourse has been poisoned with a false dichotomy”: endorse Kirk’s cause for sainthood or be cast out of civil society.

This moment demands more than platitudes. It requires moral clarity.

Kirk’s death, like any act of political violence, should be condemned unequivocally. His family deserves compassion, and his children deserve peace. But the church must resist the temptation to sanctify ideology. It must remember that sainthood is not earned through popularity — it is forged in humility, service and love.

The Sisters of Charity reminded us of that. Their statement reaffirmed their mission to walk with the poor, welcome immigrants, defend LGBTQ+ dignity and labor for peace. “These are the marks of authentic discipleship,” they wrote. “These are the qualities of saints.”

In a time when political identity often eclipses spiritual integrity, the church must be a beacon leading us out of the shadow of violence, not a mirror reflecting the partisan fervor of the moment.