Archbishop Jose Gomez – Facebook
Archbishop José H. Gomez Elected New President of US Bishops: First Latino to Hold the Highest Leadership Position in US Church
American bishops on November 12, 2019, elected Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
The election came during the USCCB Fall Assembly in Baltimore. He becomes the first Latino to hold the highest leadership position in the American Catholic Church.
The Archbishop expressed his enthusiasm in a message on Twitter: “The election to @USCCB president is an honor — not only for me, but also for @lacatholics and for every Latino Catholic in the country. I promise to serve with dedication and love, and to always try to follow Jesus Christ and seek his will for his Church here in the US. #USCCB19″
The 67-year-old Mexican-born prelate was given a standing round of applause from his brother bishops after it was announced that Archbishop Gomez had received 176 votes out of the 238 votes cast in the Tuesday morning vote according to Angelus News, the publication of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit was elected conference vice president.
Archbishop Gomez succeeds the outgoing president Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, who finishes his three-year term at this month’s meeting. DiNardo and Gomez were elected president and vice-president, respectively, at the conference’s fall meeting in 2016.
In an interview with Angelus, the archbishop expressed gratitude to his brother bishops for the trust they placed in him.
“It is really a moment of grace for me, and I’m extremely grateful to my brother bishops for thinking of me for this position. It is an honor for me to serve the Conference of Bishops and the people of the United States. It’s overwhelming, and at the same time I feel like it’s a moment of grace for me.”
Archbishop Gomez has been a leading advocate of immigrant rights, often voicing support for newcomers as they face growing restrictions being implemented by the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies.
As president, the archbishop will lead oversee the day-to-day operations of the conference, whose headquarters are located in Washington D.C. In order to lead the conference, he says he will be relying heavily on the advice and support of collaborators and staff in both LA and the nation’s capital.
“The bishops, the priests, and also the lay faithful that are going to help me to really make the decisions that are appropriate for the needs of the church in the United States.”
He believes that despite what some believe, the U.S. bishops are focused on following the lead of Pope Francis at this “moment of renewal and reform” in the Catholic Church.
“The bishops of the United States are united with Pope Francis,” Archbishop Gomez told Angelus. “The reality is that the Church of the United States is a large community, and I think it takes time to really get people to fully understand what the spirituality and ministry of Pope Francis is all about.”
The prelate, who previously served as an auxiliary bishop in Denver and archbishop in San Antonio before being appointed to Los Angeles in 2010, also acknowledged the challenge of the additional leadership role while continuing to shepherd the nation’s largest archdiocese.
“I need to find a way to not lose the sense that my main mission is to be a pastor, both at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and also at the USCCB,” the 67-year-old Mexican-born prelate told Angelus. “That is what God is asking me to do. Not to be just an administrator, but also be a pastor that brings the presence of Christ to the people.”
Read the source: https://zenit.org/articles/archbishop-gomez-elected-new-president-of-us-bishops/
Bishops Gather For Mass On Opening Day Of Annual General Assembly In Baltimore – USCCB Photo
Cardinal DiNardo Reflects on Term as Leader of US Bishops
Also Remarks by Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.
The Catholic bishops of the United States convened their Fall General Assembly in Baltimore this morning. The meeting began with remarks by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops delivered his last address as president of the Conference.
Reflecting on his soon-ending term as USCCB President, Cardinal DiNardo mentioned some of the experiences during his tenure that had the biggest impact:
“Visiting the border detention centers, I remember the many hand-drawn pictures of Jesus or Mary in the children’s rooms and the long lines for confession before Mass. Separated from their families, I met dozens of children who called upon their Catholic faith and the firm knowledge that Christ and His Church would be present with them. Along with my brother bishops, we went because Jesus was already there. We followed our shepherd. I invite everyone who may hear this to share our journey of solidarity with migrants and refugees. May we accompany our sisters and brothers as Jesus accompanies us in our own struggles.
“Through the cry of a baby in her mother’s arms, I met dozens of respite center volunteers at the border. Without their generous response, that child might not have gotten the medicine she needed for her fever. They are doing God’s work.
“So are the people I’ve met in pregnancy centers across the country. They are working hard to make abortion an unnecessary choice by providing support and child-care options for expectant mothers. Public policy advocates are fighting for health care that is comprehensive enough to nurture every child’s right to life. If you are a mother feeling alone and considering abortion, please know that if you call one of our churches, a compassionate voice will answer and help identify resources. The continued fight to defend unborn children is one of the most significant things we do. And it will remain so as long as the most innocent lives are left unprotected. My life is also forever changed by meeting with survivors of abuse. When too many within the Church sought to keep them in the darkness, they refused to be relegated to the shadows. Their witness brought help to countless fellow survivors. It fueled the resolve of my brother bishops to respond with pastoral support and prevention programs. Background checks, safe environment training, expert review boards, and zero-tolerance policies are in place and working — not in spite of our past failures but rather because of them. By sharing their pain, survivors empowered us with the knowledge needed to respond. And Pope Francis has ushered in a new era of bishop accountability with a worldwide standard for investigating wrongdoing, protecting whistleblowers, and serving survivors.”
Archbishop Pierre offered encouraging words on the situation of the Church in the United States:
“Although there are challenges, there are also many dedicated Catholics who live daily their faith. The Church in the United States has been strong not only in it defense of human life and religious liberty but also in its defense of the rights of migrants and families. The generosity and willingness of Catholics to sacrifice is witnessed in the charitable works during times of national disasters or through Catholic Relief Services, in addressing global issues of poverty, hunger, healthcare, water, and sanitation.”
The bishops meet November 11-13 for their annual plenary in Baltimore. Public sessions of general assembly discussions and votes will be available via livestream at http://www.usccb.org/live.
Read the source: https://zenit.org/articles/cardinal-dinardo-reflects-on-term-is-leader-of-us-bishops/
US BISHOPS ELECT FIRST PRESIDENT UNDER STATE INVESTIGATION
by William Mahoney, Ph.D. • ChurchMilitant.com • November 13, 2019
Abp. José Gómez of Los Angeles surrounded by scandal
BALTIMORE (ChurchMilitant.com) – Mexican-born José Horacio Gómez, the archbishop of Los Angeles, became the first Latino president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on Tuesday — as well as the first president of the USCCB to be elected while under state investigation.
Mainstream and Catholic media headlines have spotlighted that the USCCB elected its first Latino president, but have glossed over Gómez’s controversial history as a Catholic prelate.
Cdl. Roger Mahony, Los Angeles archbishop emeritus
The Los Angeles Times reported in May that California Attorney General Xavier Becerra wrote a letter to Gómez asking that his chancery preserve documents related to allegations of clergy sex abuse.
In the letter, Becerra stated: “The California Department of Justice is conducting a review of your archdiocese’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations involving children, including whether your archdiocese has adequately reported allegations of sexual misconduct, as required under California’s Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act.”
The archdiocese responded in a statement that addressed its cooperation with other investigations and reiterated its commitment to its Zero Tolerance policy:
The Archdiocese has also already cooperated with two state and one federal investigation and continues to fully cooperate with all civil authorities. Allegations of abuse involving minors whether by a member of the clergy or a layperson are reported to law enforcement, public announcements are made at the places where the person has served, and if found credible the person is permanently removed from any capacity according to the Archdiocese’s Zero Tolerance policy.
Gómez’s predecessor, Cdl. Roger Mahony, was involved in many cover-ups, including that of the infamous serial abuser priest Fr. Michael Stephen Baker.
Gómez removed Mahony from all administrative and public duties in January 2013 after releasing confidential Church files that prove Mahony deliberately hid the abuse of children from law enforcement.
In a statement following Mahony’s removal, Gómez said: “Effective immediately, I have informed Cardinal Mahony that he will no longer have any administrative or public duties. Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry has also publicly apologized for his decisions while serving as Vicar for Clergy.”
But one month later, Gómez released a statement announcing that Mahony was in good standing, without any further explanation of the sudden reversal:
Questions from the faithful and some members of the news media indicate that it would be helpful for me to clarify the status of Cardinal Roger Mahony and Bishop Thomas Curry.
Cardinal Mahony, as Archbishop Emeritus, and Bishop Curry, as Auxiliary Bishop, remain bishops in good standing in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, with full rights to celebrate the Holy Sacraments of the Church and to minister to the faithful without restriction.
Gómez has also permitted the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress (LA REC) ― a four-day archdiocesan event and the largest annual gathering of Catholics in the United States (around 40,000 people) ― to continue without any opposition in spite of LA REC’s dubious adherence to Catholic teaching.
In 2018, LA REC hosted Jesuit pro-LGBT speakers Fr. James Martin and Fr. Greg Boyle.
LA REC favorably offers the following YELP review from “Julie C.” in San Leandro, California, on its website:
Some people go to Tibet, Bali, or India for spiritual rejuvenation or enlightenment. Others take to the deserts in the Americas or the mountains in the Andes. I head to Orange County, California. For nearly a decade, I have joined thousands of other Catholics for a weekend of workshops, liturgies (I love hearing my favorite gospel singer!), and camaraderie. I call it visiting the Catholic planet.
Don’t let the name fool you; you don’t have to be a Catholic schoolteacher or catechist to take part or even a staunch Catholic. In fact, the LA Congress has conservative Catholic protesters every year taking issue with the multicultural liturgies and/or the messages of inclusiveness. I consider this one of the highlights of every year and I’ve made it a family tradition bringing along my mother and now my daughter.
A priest and former seminary professor who preferred to remain anonymous spoke to Church Militant about the USCCB’s appointment of Gómez.
“As a priest for more than twenty years and a devout Roman Catholic for my entire life, I find it hard to stomach how the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has been hijacked by interests far from interested in promoting the True Faith or Roman Catholicism,” said Father.
I find it hard to stomach how the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has been hijacked by interests far from interested in promoting the True Faith or Roman Catholicism.
“Consider what played out yesterday with Gómez being ‘elected’ President of the USCCB; he is not even an American. In no other country of the world do you have foreign born priests made bishops, let alone ordinaries,” he added.
Father expanded:
Who are the powers running the Church these days trying to kid? In Italy, you do not have an Englishman being made the ordinary of a diocese, let alone the leader of the entire episcopal conference for the country, even if the Englishman speaks impeccable Italian. What is playing out in the U.S. today is foreign interests dictating what is best for the Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America. And American “born and bred” priests are now supposed to stomach a Mexican priest running the Church in America.
What is playing out is a flagrant disregard for the sovereignty of Roman Catholics in America ― priests, bishops and laity ― to govern themselves. This is just another ploy by Pope Francis to sell out a sovereign country to the control of foreign powers.
I, for one, reject Gómez as President of the USCCB for various reasons. He is suspect on so many levels of so many things, and he is not even American!
Read the source: https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/u.s-bishops-elect-first-president-under-state-investigation