The late Sen. Bob Dole was a “covert spiritual agent” who believed that faith was best expressed through personal actions, said Chaplain of the United States Senate Barry Black during remarks at Dole’s funeral service on Dec. 10 at the Washington National Cathedral.
“Bob was a covert spiritual agent, he did not wear his religion on his sleeve. He resonated with the sentiment of Francis of Assisi. ‘Preach the gospel wherever you go, when necessary use words,’” Black said.
The senate chaplain said he had known both Dole and his wife, former Sen. Elizabeth Dole for many years and had had discussions on faith with them both. Citing Dole’s love of brevity, he said the former senator understood that his time among the living was only temporary.
“He knew that there was brevity…It’s temporary. He was not in that valley to stay,” Black said.
Dole was honored Friday at Washington National Cathedral as top leaders from both parties gathered to display the kind of bipartisanship now rare in modern government, a tribute to the longtime Kansas senator’s ability to practice bare-knuckle politics without losing an overriding sense of civility.
Dole’s flag-draped casket was carried into the sanctuary by a military honor guard as the congregation stood and Dole’s wife, former North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole, and daughter, Robin, looked on. Joining top leaders of Congress at the invitation-only ceremony were former Vice President Mike Pence and actor Tom Hanks, as was Bill Clinton, who beat Dole to win reelection as president in 1996.
Dole’s longtime friend, President Joe Biden, sat with first lady Jill Biden in the first pew. Dole’s casket later traveled to the World War II Memorial on the National Mall for a public “celebration of life” featuring Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.S. Army Band.
Dole, who died Sunday at age 98, was wounded in the war, served nearly 36 years in Congress and was GOP Senate leader for more than a decade. In February, he announced he’d been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
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