Report: Cardinal Timothy Dolan to say a prayer at the Republican Convention in Tampa

New York Cardinal and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Timothy Dolan will give the benediction at the Republican National Convention in Tampa when presumptive nominee Mitt Romney accepts the presidential nomination a week from today, according to The Associated Press.

Romney announced the Cardinal's appearance in an interview on "The World Over Live" television show on the Eternal Word Television Network that is scheduled to air tonight, the AP reported .

"It's not an endorsement," but more like a "priest going to pray," Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the New York Archdiocese, told the wire service.

Zwilling said the cardinal told both parties he would accept invitations to offer a prayer at their convention, according to the AP.

The Republican Party, however, has many views that resonate with the Catholic Church's leadership. This week, the Republicans approved platform language that calls for a constitutional amendment outlawing abortion. The GOP has also assailed President Barack Obama for failing to defend the "Defense of Marriage Act," which prohibits same sex marriages even though federal lawyers deemed it unconstitutional. The archdiocese is among dozens of Catholic groups suing the president over the health care mandate that requires all employers other than churches to provide contraceptive coverage.

The convention begins on Monday.