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BALTIMORE – The newly elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, expressed his intention to continue the work of his predecessor, Archbishop Jose Gomez, in strengthening unity among the bishops.
“Basically, I intend to continue the good work that Archbishop Gomez started … by giving us a good example of listening, but then leading,” Archbishop Broglio said at a post-election news conference. “I think the bishops have made great progress working together and talking to each other, so I hope that process continues.”
Speaking to The Tablet after the public session, the conference’s new vice president, Archbishop William Laurie of Baltimore, reiterated that unity among bishops is paramount to the success of the church.
“[Unity] has always been critical, but its importance is emphasized in a very polarized culture and a culture that undermines the unity of the Church,” Archbishop Laurie said. “I don’t think we can overemphasize coming together in unity. we can never stop finding our unity.”
The big news at last week’s Fall General Assembly was the election of Archbishop Broglio and Archbishop Lori to lead the USCCB for the next three years.
Archbishop Broglio, the Archdiocese’s head of the Military Services, led each round of voting in a crowded field of 10 candidates, but did not break the 119-vote majority threshold with 138 votes before the third round. Shortly thereafter, Archbishop Laurie, who was elected vice president of the conference, finished second in the presidential election with 99 votes.
Archbishop Broglio did not formally address the conference after the election. But he thanked Archbishop Gomez, the conference’s vice president, Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit, and the conference’s treasurer, Bishop Gregory Parkes of St. Petersburg, Florida, for their three years of leadership.
In addition to Archbishop Broglio and Archbishop Lori, the other presidential candidates were Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Bishop Frank Caggiano of Bridgeport (formerly Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn), Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileoni of Arlington, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileoni. , Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio and Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend.
Archbishop Broglio also said he would welcome the opportunity to meet with President Joe Biden, denying that his election was a sign of “dissonance” between Pope Francis and the US bishops.
Los Angeles Archbishop Gomez, as president of the USCCB, has not had the opportunity to meet with Biden, a Catholic whose pro-abortion stance has created a tumultuous relationship between the Oval Office and the USCCB in recent years.
“I know that there is a great desire from my side [Archbishop Gomez] meeting with the president, but it was not possible,” said Archbishop Broglio. “I will definitely use it in the future if I can. If he wants to meet me, I’m happy to meet him.”
Answering the question about how he will act in the political arena, he added that he is looking forward to the talks with the political leaders of the United States and that he will not miss the opportunity to introduce the gospel into all aspects of our country’s life. “
In other comments, Archbishop Broglio rejected his election, citing what some commentators called “dissonance” with Pope Francis, saying that he is “certainly connected to Pope Francis as part of the universal Church” and that they are “brother bishops”.
Archbishop Broglio was asked about his time as Cardinal Angelo Sodano’s secretary from 1990-2001 and how that experience shaped his views on issues of clerical sexual abuse in the Church. Cardinal Sodano, who died earlier this year, was Vatican secretary of state under Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, who repeatedly defended Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, then founder of the Legion of Christ, in Vatican investigations. was found to have committed sexual violence and other forms of abuse.
Archbishop Broglio replied that “hindsight is always 20/20,” noting that he did not work in Cardinal Sodano’s office. He said these situations are a constant reminder that the church must be “attentive” and “active.”
Since 2008, Archbishop Broglio has led the archdiocese in the field of military service.
He has held a number of leadership positions within the USCCB over the years. His election as president of the next conference cut short his time as conference secretary. In the past, he served as Chair of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace, as well as Chair of the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.
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