U.S. Catholic Bishops Elect Hispanic Immigrant as Leader

Until the Roman Catholics defended DACA Trump was only too happy to dissolve the separation of Church and State. Watch what happens now. If this President wasn't so damaging to the American rule of law, it would be funny.

Archbishop Gomez is being used to send a message to the Catholics on the Supreme Court to vote in favor of DACA. The Conference is attempting to manipulate the process. I departed the Catholic Church decades ago because I disagree with much of it’s teachings. I agree with the bishops on this issue. DACA should be preserved. These children should have a pathway to citizenship. They know no other country. Deporting them would be cruel. I support DACA.

His favorite song: 'thank god, for little boys'

Catholics are frustrated with the USCCB for focusing on abortion while ignoring or giving tentative lip service to other pro-life issues. We need U. S. Bishops walking the talk and accompanying groups addressing social justice issues as happened when priests walked beside Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez to promote civil rights. During the Obama Administration the USCCB led repeated and concerted efforts called Fortnight for Freedom. protesting employers being asked to sign a piece of paper to opt out of the ACA yet remain silent or only make token visits to the border while families are separated, asylum seekers are locked up, voting rights are assaulted, food stamps and medical care are denied to the poor elderly and disabled - all the while tax cuts are showered upon the wealthiest Americans. By remaining silent, these religious leaders tacitly approve President Trump’s language and behavior that is anything but Christian. Let’s hope the USCCB’s follow the lead of Pope Francis and finally provide real action instead of the jovial PR campaigns by Cardinal Dolan or Cardinal DiNardo waiting until his final speech before addressing social justice issues.

A defender of immigrants but ultra conservative. If there is one thing Catholics know, it is political expediency. The biggest archdiocese in the country now has their guy at the top of hierarchy. Religions are losing "customers" in droves. Immigration happens to be a big concern to the only growing demographic in the church. Two birds with one stone.

Archbishop Gomez lives the faith: love one another, forgive, show mercy, pray, comfort the ill, visit the lonely & the imprisoned, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, welcome the stranger,...

I am pleased to see Archbishop Gomez assume the leadership of the USCCB. While is often challenged by his management style, he is a thoughtful, humble and spiritual man. Just right for our times. The cultural warrior, militant church must shift its focus from abortion and gay marriage to the myriad of pressing social and political topics that are rendering our society and our church. Its is easy to stand against abortion and gay marriage, but it is cheap faith. To confront our bigotry and prejudices on poverty, excess wealth, ethnic and racial issues, homelessness, and immigration calls for an intense internal change and commitment to the gospel. Faithfull citizenship calls Catholics to view the larger picture of society.

We are still a country of laws. The archbishops,who live in opulence, are lecturing hard-pressed American families of all races when they do not share the consequences of the politics they espouse. And it is disgraceful when they descend to grotesque prejudice against people who are white. Their divisive visions and self-indulgence have prevented them from addressing the problems that are causing people to flee unstable regions in the first place: crime, socialist corruption and oppression.

It would be much more useful if instead of arguing about illegal immigration, we argued about what kind of LEGAL immigration system we want. There is no way to fix the problem of illegal immigrants until we have fixed a poorly functioning system.

Gomez I have news for you,They elected you because you fit their political agenda>Yes a political agenda the indignation is almost accomplished AMEN.

First, Archbishop Gomez was a legal immigrant. Second, does he support legal or illegal immigrants?

I guess the good Archbishop will have a lot of time on his hands if he’s focused on defending immigrants. As for illegal aliens, the most sensible thing to do is to immediately expel all illegal aliens from our country. It just makes good sense.

If, as suggested in the article above, the Supremes appear poised to end DACA, then his first order of business should be excommunication of the Vatholuc Justices who vote to fo so. "I was the stranger and you welcomed me..." not.

Some suggestion to the new leader of the Conference of Bishops to reverse the dissolution of Catholic Church in America: Allow women in all Church offices; allow married priests; remake the seminary program to eliminate the grooming of priests into the pedophile network with in the Church; institute a program requiring that no priests will ever be alone with a young person (under 21), the second person must be a lay person, it cannot be a priest; begin a program to compensate the victims of Church abuse that does not require them to sign away their rights, which many of them will not understand what they are signing. If you do these things, you might begin to reverse the decline of the Catholic Church. If you do not, the Catholic Church in America may not exist in 50 years.

Well, well, well. The Catholic Church can do something honorable after all. Now let’s see if that new Justice on the Supreme Court who espoused his Catholic prep school background as reason to be recognized as superior to others looks at DACA as someone with integrity or merely as a Trump puppet.

Let's be honest in reporting that he supports illegal immigrants. The use of immigrant implies people who have entered the country legally.

As evil rises in our nation, the faithful are imbued with the spirit and strength of Jesus that enables them to fight evil weapons with extraordinary wits.

'who has long vowed to defend immigrants amid their fears of deportation.' Is it fair to assume that this (Hispanic, pun intended) bishop is not particularly interested in or upholding the laws of this country? Legal immigrant are not deported.

I'm not Catholic, so this is none of my business to a certain extent. But it seems to me that this article shows no interest in religion, only in public policy questions. I rather doubt the bishops think the same way.

I’m sure he still views women as just that little bit less than men. I’m not going to get too excited. If it weren’t for groups like the Catholic Bishops we wouldn’t be looking at a Republican President, Trump, and a Republican Controlled Senate. They’ve worked hard on the behalf of the GOP. We are suffering from what they have sowed!

I don't know if Mr. Gibson was slightly misquoted or misspoke: "Unlike culture war issues such as abortion or gay marriage, immigration has long been a unifying issue for the Catholic bishops, said David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University." Are there any Bishops who do not approve of the Church's moral stance on abortion ? Archbishop Jose Gomez does not gain any absolute power as the President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops but he becomes a living symbol. It would seem that Pope Francis should give the Archbishop of Los Angeles the Cardinal's Hat. Meanwhile, may he expand on his work to help all immigrants.

Nothing but hollow prayers for immigrants. The rock solid support for the Republican Party guarantees it. In case the Archbishop has forgotten, the deal is that the church gets unwavering support on abortion and 'freedom of religion' in exchange for lip service on any social issues having to do with immigration, health care, and letting the ultra-wealthy exploit the system. Meanwhile, back at the Archdiocese, only six men were ordained in 2019, for an archdiocese of over four million Catholics. This church is dying fast, and maybe that's not a bad thing.

I would welcome his thoughts today about a just outcome for the 700,000 DACA kids which the Supreme Court is cruelly getting ready to cut loose.

Thank you NYT for revising your earlier fake news/sensationalized headline. Archbishop José H. Gomez is the new President, NOT to challenge Trump, but simply because the bishops followed custom by selecting their previous Vice President: Archbishop José H. Gomez. Thank you again.

Thanks be to God.

Good Choice Indeed. Not a Catholic or even a Christian and yet I am very happy with this election. There is no single entity in this country that stands up for the rights of poor and hardworking immigrants as the Catholic Church does. Archbishop Jose Gomez voice can't be ignored. Despite the existence of some very dark pages in the Church history containing antisemitism and other form of intolerance, today's Catholic Church and this Holy Pope, truly a great man, can teach many evangelical leaders the true meaning and significance of Exodus 22:21

I look forward to Archbishop Gomez and the USCCB taking action on immigration. We need a path to citizenship for the many non citizen Americans. We need it now.

“Unlike culture war issues such as abortion or gay marriage, immigration has long been a unifying issue for the Catholic bishops, said David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University.” May I point out that abortion access and marriage equality and immigration/asylum are all civil rights issues first and foremost? They are secondarily issues of public policy and the law. They are only so-called cultural issues when weaponized for electoral gain. Making a distinction between who may immigrate to the United States on the one hand and who may control their own reproduction or marry their beloved on the other hand is a false distinction. I expect the Catholic hierarchy will continue its discrimination against women and non-heterosexuals. As such that hierarchy will continue to lose influence and relevance, social as well as “cultural.”

If the Catholic Church can become Christian may I admit to my love of Christianity and my willingness to join if only the Nicene Doctrine is abandoned. My Jesus is 100% human and much like the founders now called Deists whose God did not interfere in the affairs of man I believe the future is in our hands. Might I offer this quote from Voltaire; "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." My name reminds me to always expect the Spanish Inquisition and today's Trump Party tells me my fears are not without reason. Wasn't it Jesus that said; Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and render unto God that which is God's which became the separation of church and state.

I would be more pleased is the priest who denied Biden communion was relieved of his duties. I don't trust any of the men of the Church - until they stand up for women and children, they don't deserve respect or trust.

Organizations which bar people of color from leadership positions because of their race are correctly labeled "white supremacist" in the media. Why is the Catholic Church not correctly labeled as "male supremacist" when it is being discussed? Why the double standard? Because male supremacy is normalized and accepted to the point where it is invisible. It's a gross bias on the part of news outlets to call out white supremacy and not male supremacy.

One does not have to read further than the headline to see where the article is headed. The headline should have read, "Catholic Bishops Elect Defender of Undocumented Immigrants...." . Only once was the word "undocumented" used in the article when that is the issue. Immigrants approved for residence should not require the bishop's protection.

You buried the lede, as is often the case with stories regarding the Catholic Church. As you note near the end of the piece, aside from immigration, Gomez is a hard line conservative. It’s probably why Pope Francis hasn’t given Gomez the red hat accorded customarily to the leader of the largest archdiocese in the US.

This will encourage the flight of whites from the Catholic church. There are much better reasons for leaving this church but any reasons are better than none.

Bravo Archbishop José H. Gomez.

The USCCB are hypocrites! They allow priests to preach their “pro-life” agenda, deny the Eucharist to any politician they disagree with, and shame our LGTBQ brothers and sisters! The Roman Catholic Church has now been exposed for what it has always been, a sycophant for ultra-conservative leaders and presidents who do their bidding! Never mind that the majority of Catholics disagree with them! The United States Council of Catholic Bishops have been SILENT and therefore complicit with the Trump administration’s inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and their children! I’m grateful we left the RCC, after generations of being Catholic we are now proudly...” ones”! These men are the Pharisees of today whom Jesus raised against!

This man, Archbishop Gomez, is not familiar to me. Opus Dei? I see. That's 'ultra-conservative', perhaps that is why. Or, maybe it's because I have looked - in vain - for anyone to step forward and scream bloody murder about those children in cages on the border. He did go down once? Well, that was nice. Obviously not a well publicized event. And, yet, all of his fellow Catholic officials seem to think well of him. What is his position on female priests? Priests marrying? A RICO suit slapped on the Vatican? Payments to children who were raped by priests? A trip down to the border and 'personalized' prayer cards that tell one who to call when ICE grabs their kid -. This is pretty thin gruel. The Church is now down to 23% of the US population as of 2016. But in 2018 the population of the US that names itself atheist or agnostic (also Pew) is up to 26%. The Catholic Church is in deep trouble. But it's not like it wasn't given chances to win the hearts and minds back. All it had to do was "Save the Kids In Cages!" But it has not. It likes Trump too much because he is anti-abortion. Yawn, Archbishop. I've heard that. I've heard just how much the Church "Loves the Fetus". But when given a chance to help real, live children in desperate straits, the Church has passed every time. The Church has blown it. You are only the "Church of The Anatomy": Male-only, even on who you choose to abuse, and the women are only good for popping out more males. Got it.

Not being a Roman Catholic, I doubt that the plight of the legal immigrants in the US is a main issue of the US Catholic Church. The much more important questions are the vow of celibacy of the clergy and the discrimination of women. Against the latter, the bell has long ago told that the Trinity should be enlarged to Quadrinity, by inclusion of Mary in it.

Does the Catholic Church remember the forced proselytization of native South Americans, and the total destruction of their culture? But correcting one historical wrong by focusing on Hispanics will undermine the Church in the long run? The Church, like other institutions, always select the best candidate for the job.

Will the Catholic church continue its support of Republican politicians who are anti-immigrant but are also anti-abortion?

For the Church to return to any semblance of relevance, it must stop its attack on women's reproductive rights and return to actual Christian values of helping those in need. Helping immigrants is a noble cause; to "defend unborn children" at the cost of our women's health and our planet's livability is insane. The (anti-)"conservatives" in the Church who think women are just baby-makers, and immigrants just tax-wasting threats or off-books wage-serfs, are dead wrong. They won't put brakes on the US's spiraling debt—only taxing the rich and ending war-department overfunding has a chance to do that—but they WILL make white supremacists, defense contractors, megacorps, and the vile GOP happy. They should each ask themselves: Do I REALLY want to do that? Or should I commit to follow the same Christ I invoke?

I am DELIGHTED that Paprocki was passed over for Vice President. Militant is one a many words that come to mind when I recall my interactions with him.

El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz's actions in accompanying migrants from Mexico across the border into the U.S. would clearly amount to aiding and abetting the commission of a criminal act under the interpretation of current laws as seen by the Trump administration. It will be interesting to see how the Supreme Court addresses this issue of how far humanitarian support for undocumented immigrants can go before crossing the line into illegal activity.

When it come down to it, the bishops all fall in line under Trump because of his strong anti-abortion stance (which BTW is dubious at best). They will readily throw the real life immigrants under the bus to "save" the unborn.