Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York appeared on "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday to discuss the true meaning of Christmas, after a recently released poll showed that Americans believe society has largely forgotten that true meaning.
Dolan, 72, said that while he consciously tries to avoid being negative, it bothers him that the true meaning of Christmas — celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ — has been largely tossed aside.
"I don't know how many people really recognize — how many people, they call it ‘the winter holiday' or ‘the season,’" said Dolan.
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Dolan pointed out that sometimes people "not within the fold," particularly "our Jewish neighbors," have a deeper understanding of the true meaning of Christmas than do many who claim to be Christian.
"[Jewish people] are forever saying, ‘Wish me a blessed Christmas. I know when you say that you're wishing me the best thing that can happen, and we appreciate that,'" he said.
A new Ipsos poll published on Dec. 15 revealed that 84% of Christians surveyed believe that Americans have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas, the "Fox & Friends" segment noted.
Among all Americans, including those who are non-religious, 75% of respondents believed that the country has forgotten what Christmas truly means.
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A total of 60% of non-religious respondents said they agreed or strongly agreed that Americans have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas, according to the Ipsos website.
The poll surveyed 1,023 adults and was conducted Dec. 9-11, 2022, by Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel, their website also noted.
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Christmas, said Dolan, "is about the personal."
"You can't get more personal than a baby," he added.
"So, when God the Father said, ‘How can I get through to my people? I'm going to send them a baby. I'm going to have my only-begotten son, the second person of the Most Blessed Trinity, become a baby.'"
Babies, said Dolan, are "tangible," not "technological."
"We can pick a baby up," he said.
In a Christmas message to Fox viewers, Dolan emphasized the importance of Jesus Christ bringing light to a dark world in need of a savior.
"This is the darkest time of year, so we have Christmas. The birth of the light of the world, Jesus, reveals himself," said Dolan.
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"There's a lot of darkness," the cardinal explained, both "out there in the world" and personal, internal struggles and troubles.
Rather than eschewing the acknowledgment of darkness out of fear of "dampening the Christmas spirit," Dolan explained that recognizing the darkness of the world is opening oneself up to the light that is Christ.
"I'm always saying, ‘No, take those things,' because what you're really doing is admitting that there is always darkness and that 'I alone can't take care of it.'"
The "help" in combating this darkness, said Dolan, is Jesus Christ.
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"Once we admit, ‘I need help,’ it's sort of a Red Cross way of saying, 'I need a savior. I need some rescuing.'"
Added Dolan, "And that, of course, is what Christmas is all about."
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"God sent us a savior," he continued.
"We need one. And [the] more we admit the darkness, the more we admit we need the light. And that gives us hope for Christmas."
