American Catholic bishops selected Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City as their new conference president during their Baltimore gathering on Tuesday, while Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville won the vice presidency by a narrow margin. The leadership elections highlighted immigration as a central concern for the church, with Flores losing the top position by only 19 votes despite his longtime advocacy for migrants along the Texas-Mexico border.
The conference plans to issue a Special Message addressing immigration policy, marking only the second such statement since 2013. Outgoing president Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio emphasized biblical mandates regarding care for strangers and aliens during his opening address. Bishops approved correspondence to Pope Leo XIV describing their challenge of confronting viewpoints contrary to gospel teachings about loving neighbors.
The new leadership team will serve throughout the remainder of the Trump administration's term as deportation operations intensify across the country. Many Hispanic Catholic families have expressed fear about attending Mass due to potential encounters with federal immigration enforcement agents.
The conference plans to issue a Special Message addressing immigration policy, marking only the second such statement since 2013. Outgoing president Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio emphasized biblical mandates regarding care for strangers and aliens during his opening address. Bishops approved correspondence to Pope Leo XIV describing their challenge of confronting viewpoints contrary to gospel teachings about loving neighbors.
The new leadership team will serve throughout the remainder of the Trump administration's term as deportation operations intensify across the country. Many Hispanic Catholic families have expressed fear about attending Mass due to potential encounters with federal immigration enforcement agents.
