US Catholic bishops elect new leader and condemn Trump’s policy

Archbishop of Oklahoma City Paul S. Coakley. Photo: open sources

Catholics in the United States have elected a new head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, reports Catholic News Agency.

At the annual meeting in Baltimore, Archbishop of Oklahoma City Paul S. Coakley, known as a conservative theologian, was chosen as the new chairman. Amid growing controversy over deportation policies, the bishops declared the protection of migrants’ rights a top priority. The hierarchs expressed concern over the new administration’s plans for mass deportations.

In their closing statement, the bishops reaffirmed that “the Church must stand where Christ stands – with the poor, the marginalized, and the displaced.” They warned that “policies that tear families apart or criminalize those seeking refuge offend the sanctity of human life and the moral law.”

Archbishop Coakley himself noted: “We cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of families separated at the border. The right to life and dignity extends beyond birth – it includes the right to safety, to family unity, and to hope.”

The bishops also called on Catholics to advocate for “comprehensive and humane immigration reform” and to resist any political efforts “that dehumanize migrants or refugees for short-term gain.”

As previously reported by the UOJ, Pope Francis called Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans a disgrace. The Pope urged humane treatment of migrants and stressed that every human being has the right to dignity and protection.

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