Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement on the 2020 presidential election. On behalf of all U.S. bishops, he congratulated Joe Biden, who he says “joins the late President John F. Kennedy as the second United States president to profess the Catholic faith.”
The statement also reminds American Catholics of their duty “to be peacemakers, to promote fraternity and mutual trust, and to pray for a renewed spirit of true patriotism in [the] country.”
It points out that democracy “requires that we respect the free expression of opinions and that we treat one another with charity and civility, even as we might disagree deeply in our debates on matters of law and public policy.”
The bishops also congratulate Sen. Kamala Harris of California, the first woman to be elected as vice president of the United States.
The statement concludes by asking the Blessed Virgin Mary to help the nation “work together to fulfill the beautiful vision of America's missionaries and founders—one nation under God, where the sanctity of every human life is defended and freedom of conscience and religion are guaranteed.”
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