I wish to share with you the statement of Archbishop José H. Gomez, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, on the occasion of the Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., as the 46th President of the United States. In union with my brother bishops and all people of good will, we ask the Lord to grant our President the wisdom and fortitude to be an instrument of unity and peace, embracing all people and respecting the life and dignity of every person created in the image and likeness of God with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
While we pray for unity not only for our country but for the world, we also pray for unity and peace in our Church, recalling the prayer offered at every Mass, asking Our Lord graciously to grant to the Church “peace and unity in accordance with His will.” Our unity as believers in Jesus Christ is the message we bring to the world, a unity celebrated in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, a unity founded upon the person of Jesus Christ, the Church’s cornerstone, and Holy Scripture, a unity that embraces the sanctity of all human life from the moment of conception until natural death.
Once we recognize every person as a child of God, charity covers the landscape, the truth of the human person made in God’s image brings hope where there is despair, the poor receive their true dignity, the path toward healing the hurt and scars of racism and bigotry becomes a common journey, peace is not only possible but it conquers violence, all because life is sacred. When we do not proclaim the truth about the human person, the glory and crown of God’s creation, the person disappears from the very center of all that exists and even the Creator, the Lord of Life, is no longer acknowledged or even denied.
In praying for President Biden, we raise our voices to God asking: “Almighty ever-living God, in whose hand lies every human heart and the rights of peoples, look with favor, we pray, on those who govern with authority over us, that throughout the whole world the prosperity of peoples, the assurance of peace, and freedom of religion may through your gift be made secure.” (Collect: Masses for Various Needs and Occasions: For Those in Public Office).
Debtor in Possession
OFFICE OF THE BISHOP
1150 Buffalo Road
Rochester, New York 14624 (585) 328-3210
MEMORANDUM
To: All Priests, Pastoral Administrators and Deacons
From: The Most Reverend Salvatore R. Matano
Date: January 22, 2021, Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
Re: Inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
I wish to share with you the statement of Archbishop José H. Gomez, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, on the occasion of the Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., as the 46th President of the United States. In union with my brother bishops and all people of good will, we ask the Lord to grant our President the wisdom and fortitude to be an instrument of unity and peace, embracing all people and respecting the life and dignity of every person created in the image and likeness of God with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
While we pray for unity not only for our country but for the world, we also pray for unity and peace in our Church, recalling the prayer offered at every Mass, asking Our Lord graciously to grant to the Church “peace and unity in accordance with His will.” Our unity as believers in Jesus Christ is the message we bring to the world, a unity celebrated in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, a unity founded upon the person of Jesus Christ, the Church’s cornerstone, and Holy Scripture, a unity that embraces the sanctity of all human life from the moment of conception until natural death.
Once we recognize every person as a child of God, charity covers the landscape, the truth of the human person made in God’s image brings hope where there is despair, the poor receive their true dignity, the path toward healing the hurt and scars of racism and bigotry becomes a common journey, peace is not only possible but it conquers violence, all because life is sacred. When we do not proclaim the truth about the human person, the glory and crown of God’s creation, the person disappears from the very center of all that exists and even the Creator, the Lord of Life, is no longer acknowledged or even denied.
In praying for President Biden, we raise our voices to God asking: “Almighty ever-living God, in whose hand lies every human heart and the rights of peoples, look with favor, we pray, on those who govern with authority over us, that throughout the whole world the prosperity of peoples, the assurance of peace, and freedom of religion may through your gift be made secure.” (Collect: Masses for Various Needs and Occasions: For Those in Public Office).
May God bless these United States, our world and our Church, that the prayer of Jesus after so many centuries will be realized: “That they all may be one….” (John 17:21).
Statement on the Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., as 46th President of the United States of America
Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles,
President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
January 20, 2021
My prayers are with our new President and his family today.
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.
Catholic bishops are not partisan players in our nation’s politics. We are pastors responsible for the souls of millions of Americans and we are advocates for the needs of all our neighbors. In every community across the country, Catholic parishes, schools, hospitals, and ministries form an essential culture of compassion and care, serving women, children, and the elderly, the poor and sick, the imprisoned, the migrant, and the marginalized, no matter what their race or religion.
When we speak on issues in American public life, we try to guide consciences, and we offer principles. These principles are rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the social teachings of his Church. Jesus Christ revealed God’s plan of love for creation and revealed the truth about the human person, who is created in God’s image, endowed with God-given dignity, rights and responsibilities, and called to a transcendent destiny.
Based on these truths, which are reflected in the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, the bishops and Catholic faithful carry out Christ’s commandment to love God and love our neighbors by working for an America that protects human dignity, expands equality and opportunities for every person, and is open-hearted towards the suffering and weak.
For many years now, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has tried to help Catholics and others of good will in their reflections on political issues through a publication we call Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. The most recent edition addresses a wide range of concerns. Among them: abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, immigration, racism, poverty, care for the environment, criminal justice reform, economic development, and international peace.
On these and other issues, our duty to love and our moral principles lead us to prudential judgments and positions that do not align neatly with the political categories of left or right or the platforms of our two major political parties. We work with every President and every Congress. On some issues we find ourselves more on the side of Democrats, while on others we find ourselves standing with Republicans. Our priorities are never partisan. We are Catholics first, seeking only to follow Jesus Christ faithfully and to advance his vision for human fraternity and community.
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.
Working with President Biden will be unique, however, as he is our first president in 60 years to profess the Catholic faith. In a time of growing and aggressive secularism in American culture, when religious believers face many challenges, it will be refreshing to engage with a President who clearly understands, in a deep and personal way, the importance of religious faith and institutions. Mr. Biden’s piety and personal story, his moving witness to how his faith has brought him solace in times of darkness and tragedy, his longstanding commitment to the Gospel’s priority for the poor — all of this I find hopeful and inspiring.
At the same time, as pastors, the nation’s bishops are given the duty of proclaiming the Gospel in all its truth and power, in season and out of season, even when that teaching is inconvenient or when the Gospel’s truths run contrary to the directions of the wider society and culture. So, 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. Of deep concern is the liberty of the Church and the freedom of believers to live according to their consciences.
Our commitments on issues of human sexuality and the family, as with our commitments in every other area — such as abolishing the death penalty or seeking a health care system and economy that truly serves the human person — are guided by Christ’s great commandment to love and to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable.
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. 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 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. 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.
Rather than impose further expansions of abortion and contraception, as he has promised, I am hopeful that the new President and his administration will work with the Church and others of good will. My hope is that we can begin a dialogue to address the complicated cultural and economic factors that are driving abortion and discouraging families. My hope, too, is that we can work together to finally put in place a coherent family policy in this country, one that acknowledges the crucial importance of strong marriages and parenting to the well-being of children and the stability of communities. If the President, with full respect for the Church’s religious freedom, were to engage in this conversation, it would go a long way toward restoring the civil balance and healing our country’s needs.
President Biden’s call for national healing and unity is welcome on all levels. It is urgently needed as we confront the trauma in our country caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the social isolation that has only worsened the intense and long-simmering divisions among our fellow citizens.
As believers, we understand that healing is a gift that we can only receive from the hand of God. We know, too, that real reconciliation requires patient listening to those who disagree with us and a willingness to forgive and move beyond desires for reprisal. Christian love calls us to love our enemies and bless those who oppose us, and to treat others with the same compassion that we want for ourselves.
We are all under the watchful eye of God, who alone knows and can judge the intentions of our hearts. I pray that God will give our new President, and all of us, the grace to seek the common good with all sincerity.
I entrust all our hopes and anxieties in this new moment to the tender heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ and the patroness of this exceptional nation. May she guide us in the ways of peace and obtain for us wisdom and the grace of a true patriotism and love of country.
—
Media Contact:
Chieko Noguchi
202-541-3200
Comunicado sobre la Toma de Posesión de Joseph R. Biden Jr., Como 46º Presidente de Estados Unidos de América
Reverendísimo José H. Gomez
Arzobispo de Los Ángeles,
Presidente de la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos
20 de enero de 2021
Mis oraciones están hoy con nuestro nuevo presidente y su familia.
Oro para que Dios le conceda sabiduría y valor para liderar a esta gran nación y para que le ayude a superar los retos de estos tiempos, a curar las heridas causadas por esta pandemia, a aliviar nuestras intensas divisiones políticas y culturales y a unificar a las personas con una renovada dedicación a los propósitos que motivaron la fundación de Estados Unidos, una nación bajo Dios y comprometida con la libertad y la igualdad para todos.
Los obispos católicos no somos actores partidistas activos en la política de nuestra nación. Somos pastores responsables de las almas de millones de estadounidenses y defensores de las necesidades de todos nuestros vecinos.
En todas las comunidades del país, las parroquias, escuelas, hospitales y ministerios católicos forman una cultura esencial de compasión y protección al servicio de las mujeres, los niños y los ancianos, los pobres y los enfermos, los presos, los migrantes y los marginados, sin importar su raza o religión.
Cuando nosotros hablamos sobre problemas de la vida pública estadounidense, tratamos de formar conciencia y aportar principios. Estos principios se basan en el Evangelio de Jesucristo y las enseñanzas sociales de su Iglesia. Jesucristo reveló el plan de amor de Dios por la creación y la verdad sobre la persona humana, que fue creada a su imagen y semejanza, dotada de la dignidad, los derechos y las responsabilidades dadas por Dios y llamada a un destino trascendente.
Basados en estas realidades, que se reflejan en la Declaración de la Independencia y la Declaración de los Derechos, los obispos y los fieles católicos cumplen el mandamiento de
Cristo de amar a Dios y amar a nuestro prójimo, al trabajar por un Estados Unidos que proteja la dignidad humana, aumente la igualdad y las oportunidades para todas las personas, y sea de corazón abierto hacia los que sufren y los débiles.
Por muchos años, la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos ha tratado de ayudar a los Católicos y otras personas de buena voluntad en sus reflexiones sobre aspectos políticos a través de la publicación de Formando la Conciencia para ser Ciudadanos Fieles. La más reciente edición aborda una amplia variedad de aspectos que nos preocupan. Entre ellos: aborto, eutanasia, pena de muerte, inmigración, racismo, pobreza, cuidado del medio ambiente, reforma de la justicia penal, desarrollo económico y paz internacional.
Con respecto a estos y otros temas, nuestra responsabilidad de amar y nuestros principios morales nos llevan a establecer juicios y posiciones prudenciales que no se alinean perfectamente con las tendencias políticas de izquierda o derecha, o con las plataformas de nuestros dos principales partidos políticos. Trabajamos con todos los presidentes y todos los congresos. En algunos temas nos ubicamos más del lado de los demócratas, mientras que en otros nos encontramos más del lado de los republicanos. Nuestras prioridades nunca son partidistas. Somos católicos en primer lugar, y solo buscamos seguir fielmente a Jesucristo y promover su visión de la fraternidad y la comunidad humanas.
Espero trabajar con el presidente Biden, su administración y con el nuevo Congreso. Como ocurre con todas las administraciones, habrá áreas en las que estaremos de acuerdo y en las que trabajaremos juntos con estrecha colaboración, pero también habrá áreas en las que tendremos desacuerdos de principios y una fuerte oposición.
Sin embargo, el hecho de trabajar con el presidente Biden será único, él será nuestro primer presidente en 60 años que profesa la fe católica. En una época de creciente y agresivo secularismo en la cultura estadounidense, cuando los creyentes religiosos enfrentan muchos desafíos, será refrescante interactuar con un presidente que evidentemente comprende, profunda y personalmente, la importancia de la fe y las instituciones religiosas. Observo con mucha esperanza y motivación la experiencia personal y piedad del Señor Biden, su conmovedor testimonio de cómo su fe le ha traído consuelo en tiempos difíciles y trágicos y su compromiso de mucho tiempo con la prioridad que establece el Evangelio para los pobres.
Al mismo tiempo, como pastores, los obispos de la nación tienen el deber de proclamar el Evangelio en toda su verdad y poder, a tiempo y a destiempo, incluso cuando esa enseñanza sea inconveniente o cuando las verdades del Evangelio sean contrarias a las direcciones de la sociedad y la cultura en general. Debo señalar que nuestro nuevo presidente se ha comprometido a seguir ciertas políticas que promoverían los males morales y amenazarían la vida y la dignidad humanas, más seriamente en las áreas del aborto, la anticoncepción, el matrimonio y el género. Es motivo de profunda preocupación la libertad de la Iglesia y la libertad de los creyentes para vivir de acuerdo con sus conciencias.
Nuestros compromisos en aspectos sobre la sexualidad humana y la familia, al igual que nuestros compromisos en todas las demás áreas, como la abolición de la pena de muerte o la búsqueda de un sistema de salud y una economía que realmente sirvan a la persona humana, están guiados por el gran mandamiento de Cristo de amar y solidarizarnos con nuestros hermanos y hermanas, especialmente con los más vulnerables.
Para los obispos de la nación, la continua injusticia del aborto sigue siendo la “prioridad preeminente”. Aunque preeminente no significa “única”. Tenemos una profunda preocupación por las muchas amenazas a la vida y la dignidad humanas en nuestra sociedad. Pero, como enseña el Papa Francisco, no podemos quedarnos en silencio cuando casi un millón de vidas por nacer son terminadas anualmente en nuestro país a través del aborto.
El aborto es un ataque directo a la vida que también lastima a la mujer y socava a la familia. No es sólo un asunto privado, ello genera problemáticas situaciones en aspectos fundamentales como la fraternidad, la solidaridad y la inclusión en la comunidad humana. También es una cuestión de justicia social. No podemos ignorar la realidad de que las tasas de aborto son mucho más altas entre los pobres y minorías, y que el procedimiento se usa regularmente para eliminar a los niños que nacerían con discapacidades.
En lugar de imponer más expansiones del aborto y la anticoncepción, como ha prometido, tengo la esperanza de que el nuevo presidente y su administración trabajarán con la Iglesia y otras personas de buena voluntad. Mi esperanza es que podamos iniciar un diálogo para tratar los complicados factores culturales y económicos que motivan el aborto y desaniman a las familias. Mi esperanza es igualmente que trabajemos juntos para poner finalmente en práctica una política familiar coherente en este país que reconozca la importancia crucial de los matrimonios y crianza sólidos para el bienestar de los niños y la estabilidad de las comunidades. Si el presidente, con pleno respeto por la libertad religiosa de la Iglesia, participara en esta conversación, sería de gran ayuda para restaurar el equilibrio civil y curar las necesidades de nuestro país.
El llamado del presidente Biden por una reconciliación nacional y unidad es bienvenido a todos los niveles. Es algo que se necesita urgentemente mientras enfrentamos el trauma en nuestro país causado por la pandemia del coronavirus y el aislamiento social, que sólo han agravado las intensas y largas divisiones entre nuestros conciudadanos.
Como creyentes, entendemos que la sanidad es un regalo que sólo podemos recibir de la mano de Dios. Sabemos también que la reconciliación real requiere escuchar con paciencia a quienes no están de acuerdo con nosotros y la voluntad de perdonar y superar los deseos de represalia. El amor cristiano nos llama a amar a nuestros enemigos y a bendecir a los que se oponen a nosotros, y a tratar a los demás con la misma compasión que queremos para nosotros.
Estamos todos bajo la atenta mirada de Dios, quien es el único que puede juzgar las intenciones de nuestros corazones. Oro para que Dios le dé a nuestro nuevo presidente, y a todos nosotros, la gracia de buscar el bien común con toda sinceridad.
Encomiendo todas nuestras esperanzas y ansiedades en este nuevo momento al tierno corazón de la Santísima Virgen María, madre de Cristo y patrona de esta nación excepcional. Que ella nos guíe por los caminos de la paz y nos ofrezca la sabiduría y la gracia de un verdadero patriotismo y amor por la patria.
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