As Joe Biden assumed the presidency, two of the country’s leading bishops disagree on how to respond to the new administration of the first Catholic president since John F. Kennedy.
National News
Bishops Welcome Biden as President, Offering Prayers for the Common Good
Bishops throughout the country welcomed the inauguration of Joe Biden as the nation’s 46th president, saying it was a celebration of democracy and liberty, while praying for unity and reconciliation in the face of deep political divides.
Boston Cardinal: Getting COVID Vaccine ‘Morally Correct Thing to Do’
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, a member of Pope Francis’s council of cardinal advisers, said he hopes that the example of the pope and his predecessor Benedict XVI receiving the COVID-19 vaccine will inspire others to follow suit and recognize that getting it is “the morally correct thing to do.”
An Inauguration Unlike Any Other
Just before noon Wednesday Joe Biden put his left hand on his family’s 19th century Bible and was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, and the first Catholic president since John F. Kennedy in 1960.
Biden’s Inaugural Address Calls for Americans to Work for Unity
n his inaugural address Jan. 20, President Joe Biden said he is committed with his “whole soul” to bring this country together.
USCCB President Prays God Grants Biden ‘Wisdom, Courage’ to Lead Nation
As Joe Biden prepared to be inaugurated as the 46th U.S. president, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, expressed hope the incoming administration “will work with the church and others of goodwill” to “address the complicated cultural and economic factors that are driving abortion and discouraging families.”
USCCB Statement on the Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., as 46th President of the United States of America
“We work with every President and every Congress. On some issues we find ourselves more on the side of Democrats, while on others we find ourselves standing with Republicans. Our priorities are never partisan. We are Catholics first, seeking only to follow Jesus Christ faithfully and to advance his vision for human fraternity and community.”
Trump Highlights Accomplishments on His Way Out of White House
President Donald Trump spent the last day of his presidency in office looking back at his accomplishments, wishing his successor good luck, issuing pardons, and hinting at a possible White House run in the future.
Archbishop of Washington, Biden Pray for COVID-19 Victims
Not long after the sun set in Washington D.C. Tuesday night, Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington joined President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to honor the lives lost to COVID-19.
Inauguration: End Violence, Resume Civil Discourse, Respect All Life, Cardinal Dolan Says
New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan said he hoped the “renewal and rededication that usually accompanies the inauguration of a new president” also will be a time for violence to subside and civil discourse to resume.