ANALYSIS.
The new president and vice-president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops put immigration as a priority
Both Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma and Daniel Flores of Brownsville (Texas) have harshly criticized Donald Trump's immigration policy since the beginning of his term in office.
Monsignor Paul Coakley and Monsignor Daniel Flores.
If anything was clear after the election of the new leaders of the Conference of U.S. Catholic Bishops it is that immigration is the biggest concern of the American prelates at the moment. Both the new president, Oklahoma Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, as well as the vice president, Daniel Flores, bishop of Brownsville, have been noted for their strong messages against the immigration policy of Donald Trump since his return to the White House.
In fact, care for immigrants and their current situation under the Republican presidency "consumed a good part of the time" of the plenary that brought together the country's 271 prelates. The new president stressed the "need" to work with the federal administration to "advance the interests of the Church" with respect to just immigration policies.
In this area, Coakley felt that the fact that the vice president J.D. Vance is Catholic, is an opportunity to open the way for understanding and cooperation, "I am aware that our vice president is Catholic and I would welcome the opportunity to establish a relationship with him."
"We cannot remain silent in these difficult times"
The new president of the U.S. bishops, the first elected under the pontificate of Leo XIV and whose mandate will extend for what remains of Donald Trump in the White House, stressed that the Catholic Church will be respectful of the laws of the country, but, at the same time "will be responsible to the suffering of its people."
In a message to the Pontiff at the end of the plenary session, the U.S. bishops picked up the gauntlet thrown down by Leo XIV himself, calling for the protection of migrants:
"As pastors in the United States, we face an increasingly widespread worldview that often conflicts with the gospel mandate to love our neighbor. We support border security and order and police actions in response to dangerous criminal activity, but we cannot remain silent in these difficult times when the right to worship and the right to due process are being undermined."
Criticism of Trump from the beginning of the term
Just two days after Trump's inauguration, Coakley issued a statement reminding the faithful that "Mary and Joseph fled their country to save the life of their son," Jesus, who "was a refugee." In addition, he stressed that "immigrants have been essential to the growth and prosperity of the United States," putting the focus on the commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself."
For his part Flores has always spurred the bishops to present a more combative front against the administration's mass deportation policies: "I feel that, as a conference, we must speak out more strongly about the dignity of immigrants, to say that they are not criminals, but vulnerable families.
Coakley, conservative profile, staunchly pro-life and backed Viganò in his criticism of Francis
Coakley, a conservative profile, is a staunch pro-life advocate, both in defense of the unborn and in opposition to the death penalty, and was one of the prelates who raised their voices demanding that the accusations of the now excommunicated Viganò against Pope Francis for the alleged cover-up of abuse by Archbishop McCarrick be verified.
In addition, the new president of the country's Catholic bishops is an adviser to the Napa Institute, a conservative Catholic-oriented network. He applauded Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt for signing a near total ban on abortion in 2021 and backed an initiative, which was blocked by the Supreme Court in May, to create the nation's first charter religious school.
LATEST
