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.
USCCB
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.
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.”
Archbishop Gomez: As Rev. King Urged, Meet Forces of Hate, Ignorance ‘With Power of Love’
In the spirit of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., “we must meet the forces of hate and ignorance with the power of love,” the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said in a statement for the Jan. 18 federal observance of the slain civil rights leader’s birthday.
Catholic Leaders Condemn Violence by Trump Supporters in D.C.
After hours of chaos in the nation’s capital Wednesday where President Donald Trump supporters descended upon and infiltrated the Capitol building in protest of the 2020 election, Catholic leaders across the country condemned the violence and called for peace.
U.S. Bishops Urge Vaccination, but Avoid Morally Compromised Vaccines if Possible
The U.S. bishops’ conference is encouraging Catholics to get a coronavirus vaccination because it’s a “moral responsibility for the common good,” even if some vaccines are connected to abortion-derived cell lines.
Church Pandemic Financial Forecast: Mostly Cloudy, Some Rays of Sunshine
The signals were clear at the start of the pandemic. No Masses, no offertory income. No offertory income, nothing to assess by the diocese. Nothing in the diocese to assess, reduced revenue to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
‘Working Group’ on Biden Divides Catholic Opinion
Archbishop José Gómez of Los Angeles, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, announced the new working group chaired by Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit in unscheduled remarks to close out last week’s U.S. Bishops meeting. As part of the statement, he said it creates a “difficult and complex” situation that the second ever Catholic president elect supports abortion rights.
Virtual Nature of U.S. Bishops’ Meeting Led to More Honesty, Participants Say
For many U.S. bishops, the virtual nature of this year’s annual fall meeting actually made it more efficient and productive than a typical year.