(Michael Foust) The head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops this week said he is praying for President Biden and looks forward to working with the new administration but remains concerned that the new president supports policies that “advance moral evils.”
by Michael Foust, January, 24th, 2021
José H. Gomez, archbishop of Los Angeles and the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), made the comments in a statement the day Biden was inaugurated. Biden is America’s first Catholic president in nearly 60 years. John F. Kennedy was the only other Catholic president.
“I am praying that God grant him wisdom and courage to lead this great nation and that God help him to meet the tests of these times, to heal the wounds caused by this pandemic, to ease our intense political and cultural divisions, and to bring people together with renewed dedication to America’s founding purposes, to be one nation under God committed to liberty and equality for all,” Gomez said.
“… I look forward to working with President Biden and his administration, and the new Congress. As with every administration, there will be areas where we agree and work closely together and areas where we will have principled disagreement and strong opposition.”
Catholic bishops, Gomez said, “are not partisan players in our nation’s politics” but simply offer “principles” that “are rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the social teachings of his Church.”
“I must point out that our new President has pledged to pursue certain policies that would advance moral evils and threaten human life and dignity, most seriously in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage, and gender,” Gomez said. “Of deep concern is the liberty of the Church and the freedom of believers to live according to their consciences.”
The bishops’ “commitments on issues of human sexuality and the family” are “guided by Christ’s great commandment to love and to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable,” Gomez wrote.
“For the nation’s bishops, the continued injustice of abortion remains the ‘preeminent priority.’ Preeminent does not mean ‘only.’ We have deep concerns about many threats to human life and dignity in our society,” Gomez wrote. “But as Pope Francis teaches, we cannot stay silent when nearly a million unborn lives are being cast aside in our country year after year through abortion.
Abortion, Gomez wrote, is a “direct attack on life that also wounds the woman and undermines the family.”
“It is not only a private matter, it raises troubling and fundamental questions of fraternity, solidarity, and inclusion in the human community. It is also a matter of social justice,” he wrote. “We cannot ignore the reality that abortion rates are much higher among the poor and minorities, and that the procedure is regularly used to eliminate children who would be born with disabilities.”
Gomez said he hopes Biden won’t further expand abortion but instead “begin a dialogue” with the bishops and the pro-life community “to address the complicated cultural and economic factors that are driving abortion and discouraging families.”
“We are all under the watchful eye of God, who alone knows and can judge the intentions of our hearts,” Gomez wrote. “I pray that God will give our new President, and all of us, the grace to seek the common good with all sincerity.”
Save 10% and get free shipping with a subscription!Fight viruses, remove heavy metals and microplastics, and restore your gut all at once with
Humic and Fulvic Acid from Ascent Nutrition.
MUST HAVE DETOX POWERHOUSE!
Stillness in the Storm Editor: Why did we post this?
The news is important to all people because it is where we come to know new things about the world, which leads to the development of more life goals that lead to life wisdom. The news also serves as a social connection tool, as we tend to relate to those who know about and believe the things we do. With the power of an open truth-seeking mind in hand, the individual can grow wise and the collective can prosper.
– Justin
Not sure how to make sense of this? Want to learn how to discern like a pro? Read this essential guide to discernment, analysis of claims, and understanding the truth in a world of deception: 4 Key Steps of Discernment – Advanced Truth-Seeking Tools.
Stillness in the Storm Editor’s note: Did you find a spelling error or grammatical mistake? Send an email to [email protected], with the error and suggested correction, along with the headline and url. Do you think this article needs an update? Or do you just have some feedback? Send us an email at [email protected]. Thank you for reading.
Source:
Leave a Reply