Detroit Archbishop to lead national Catholic group on Joe Biden and abortion
The head of the
Archbishop
Archbishop
Now, the Detroit Archbishop, who is also vice president of the USCCB, could play a leading role in how the
Experts say the creation of the group signifies that Catholic leaders in the
Biden has "given us reason to believe that he will support policies that attack some fundamental values we hold dear as Catholics," Gomez said on Tuesday during a general assembly meeting, according to a copy of his remarks provided to the
Archbishop Gomez praised Biden on some issues, saying the "President-elect has given us reason to believe that his faith commitments will move him to support some good policies. This includes policies in favor of immigration reform, refugees, and the poor; and against racism, the death penalty, and climate change."
But he added that Biden's support for abortion rights may create "confusion" for Catholics.
"These policies pose a serious threat to the common good whenever any politician supports them," Gomez said. "We have long opposed these policies strongly, and we will continue to do so. But when politicians who profess the Catholic faith support them, there are additional problems. Among other things, it creates confusion with the faithful about what the Church actually teaches on these questions."
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"This is a difficult and complex situation," Gomez said. "In order to help us navigate it, I have decided to appoint a
He didn't offer additional details, saying he will later provide more information.
Some observers of the
"I think the creation of this working group on Biden is a muscle memory reflex by the USCCB leadership after so many years of taking a conservative culture war approach to politics," Gibson said. "
It's unclear what direction Vigneron will steer the group in.
Since he became head of the Archdiocese 11 years ago, Vigneron has struck a conservative tone at times, warning that people who support same-sex marriage should not receive Communion and the Archdiocese has been cracking down on
But while "Vigneron is certainly no liberal ... he is actually closer to the center than to the right wing" among Catholic bishops, Gibson said. "He also doesn’t strike me as someone who tosses verbal bombs the way some of his colleagues do.
The Archdiocese of Detroit referred questions about Vigneron's appointment to the USCCB, which sent the
"I am dismayed by the USCCB's decision to adopt a contentious posture toward the President-Elect," said
Imperatori-Lee said she is "particularly dismayed, in this statement, by the way Archbishop Gomez uses the notion of 'confusing the faithful'" when he talks about how Biden's views on abortion may confuse Catholics.
"The faithful all know what the church teaches on abortion," she said. "The 'confusion' seems to be about whether the bishops are willing to work toward the common good with someone, anyone, who considers the legality of abortion in this pluralistic country a matter of settled law. Many Catholics, if not most, want to see a decrease in the number of abortions."
Imperatori-Lee said it was "dismaying" for the Catholic bishops to create a group focusing on abortion instead of issues such as immigration, racism and economic struggles of Americans.
"When thousands of Americans are dying in a global pandemic that disproportionately affects people of color, when
Speaking
It has also shaped his social and political views, Biden said.
“Throughout my life in public service, I’ve been guided by the tenets of Catholic social doctrine," Biden said. "What you do to the least among us, you do to me. We have an obligation to one another. We cannot serve ourselves at the expense of others. We have a responsibility to future generations."
But his abortion rights views disturb conservative Catholics, with some calling upon bishops to refuse him Communion.
It's unclear how much of an effect the group will have on individual bishops.
"Individual bishops will deal with the Biden administration as they wish, and with Biden himself as they see fit," Gibson of
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