Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington has offered a reminder that no matter who occupies the White House the Church’s advocacy and priorities do not change.
His comments follow the stunning re-election of former President Donald Trump to serve a second term in the White House following the US presidential election on Tuesday, 5 November.
“No matter what the results were on Tuesday [of] the election, we knew on Wednesday something would be the same – that we are one nation under God,” Burbidge said.
“No matter what happened on Tuesday, as pastors we maintain that mandate to proclaim, to celebrate the gospel of life, which is at the heart of protecting and defending all of you from the moment of conception to natural death.”
Burbidge, who is chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, made the comments at the bishops’ annual fall [autumnal] gathering in Baltimore, which takes place this year from 11-14 November.
Similar to Burbidge’s comments, remarks made by other prelates at the 12 November public session regarding the election were measured, focusing on the Church’s advocacy priorities and role in society as opposed to Trump himself.
From Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, the only mention of the election in his remarks to the US bishops was to say that “we have been living through an intense election cycle, which has challenged us to give witness to the Gospel of peace in the midst of a political climate that seems kind of like a war”.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, in his address as USCCB president, while not directly mentioning the election, he highlighted the importance of proclaiming the gospel and bringing people together, with words that appeared to allude to the contentious and fraught tenor of the election campaign, as per Pierre's point.
“As the Successors of the Apostles and vicars of Christ in our dioceses, we never back-pedal or renounce the clear teaching of the Gospel,” said Broglio, who also leads the Archdiocese for the Military Services.
“We must insist on the dignity of the human person from womb to tomb, be unstinting in our commitment…to see Christ in those who are most in need, to defend and lift up the poor, and to encourage immigration reform, while we continue to care for those in need who cross our borders,” he continued.
“At the same time, we must encourage people to work together, to listen to each other, and in disagreement to never forget that the other is created in the image and likeness of God and is, therefore, worthy of respect,” he said. “We redouble our efforts to introduce civility into the everyday discourse.”
While Pierre and Broglio’s comments were made during the public session, Burbidge made his in a midday moderated discussion for journalists that he participated in alongside Broglio and Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration.
Comments during the discussion with the journalists from the three prelates on the election for the most part avoided Trump and his possible policies specifically, and instead stuck to their roles as pastors to proclaim the gospel and bring people together – until being asked about Trump’s possible approach to immigration issues and the possibility of mass deportations.
Seitz said that if that takes shape as a policy, the conference will “raise [its] voice loudly, adding that how it unfolds will be a “test for our nation”.
“Are we in fact a nation based on law, on the most fundamental laws about the rights of the human person, or are we not? Seitz asked. “We are going to certainly do our best to express that, and then also accompany the people that are threatened with what ultimately would be unjust actions for some.”
Seitz acknowledged that there are immigrants in the United States who have not entered the country correctly, and that the justice system needs to “act in appropriate ways” to address those who have been convicted of crimes.
Broglio added that mass deportations also don’t seem “economically very sound”. On immigration in general, he said the conference hopes the new administration will take steps towards comprehensive immigration reform, as well as respect for the dignity of the human person.
“We certainly don’t encourage illegal immigration, but we certainly do take care of those who come to this country and really represent the face of Christ in their need, and so I think as we move forward, we hope there will be an earnest effort to repair the immigration law in this country, and also there will be a renewed respect for the dignity of the human person,” Broglio said.
Like Burbidge’s comment at the outset, the response he gave to an all-encompassing question on possible disagreements the conference might have with the incoming Trump administration on abortion, IVF and immigration, addressed the conference’s overarching approach as representatives of the Catholic Church in the US.
“We will as we’ve always done with all administrations continue to dialogue with our elected officials, to take the opportunities to educate where we can have a respectful conversation,” Burbidge said. “But the mandate is the same and we will continue in those efforts.”
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<em>Photo: Republican presidential nominee, former US President Donald Trump alongside former first lady Melania Trump during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, 6 November 2024. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.)</em>
