Credit: USCCB

In a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop, has renewed his commitment to defending the Defense of Marriage Act. The message, dated September 20, 2011, comes in response to recent actions taken by the Obama Administration that threaten the very existence of marriage.

Over the last several months, the United States Justice Department has shifted its attitude toward the Defense of Marriage Act from simply not defending it to challenging its constitutionality altogether. That move, in itself, is unconstitutional, some have argued, because the role of the executive branch of government is to enforce the laws, even those it does not necessarily support.

Within the letter, Archbishop Dolan reaffirms the USCCB’s support for the institution of marriage. Dolan also reiterates the “immeasurable personal dignity and equal worth of all individuals,” including the dignity of those with same-sex attraction, the main supporters of the repeal of DOMA. Furthermore, the archbishop refutes the claim that the support of DOMA is “rooted in prejudice and bias.”

The bishops are calling on the President and his administration to “push the reset button” on their approach to DOMA. “A policy disagreement over the meaning of marriage [should not] be treated by federal officials as a federal offense.” The bishops believe that the “Administration’s failure to change course on this matter will…precipitate a national conflict between Church and State of enormous proportions and to the detriment of both.”

Let’s help the bishops’ message reach President Obama. Contact the Administration and ask them to change course on their efforts to repeal DOMA. Urge President Obama to do his job, as outlined by the Constitution of the United States, and defend the laws of this country. You may contact the Obama Administration here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

The full letter from Archbishop Dolan is available below: (as found on the USCCB website)

Newly elected Archbishop Dolan at November General Assembly presser | Credit: CNS

On November 16th, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops elected Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York to the position of President. The Dolan election turned what was expected to be an uneventful annual November meeting for the bishops into something that seismically altered historical traditions.

Throughout its history, the bishops have elected the conference’s incumbent vice-president into the head position. If tradition would have prevailed this year, Bishop Gerald Kicanas would have stepped into that main leadership role, succeeding Cardinal Francis George of Chicago. [On a side note, the only time tradition has been broken was when Vice-president Cardinal John Carberry of St. Louis would have retired before the end of his three-year presidential term.]

As a result of these election results, many have questioned the motives of the bishops in choosing a person with such a dynamic personality. Some have linked the decision to the Tea Party movement. While others believed the decision was one based on uncertainty about Bishop Kicanas’ leadership abilities.

In years past, Bishop Kicanas had been scrutinized for a decision he made while rector of Mundelein Seminary, which is on the campus of the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Illinois. The decision: allowing the ordination of a seminarian who had previously been accused of inappropriate behavior with a minor. The priest would later be accused of sexually abusing 23 boys and sentenced to five years in prison. Bishop Kicanas has denied knowledge of these allegations.

Nonetheless, many believed Kicanas’ ascendency to the top position would have signaled the wrong message in regards to the conference’s stance on clerical abuse. While these concerns are something to take into consideration, the election of Archbishop Dolan signaled nothing more than the bishops’ desire to continue on the path set by Cardinal George rather than moving towards a “moderated, low-profile approach.”

On election morning, fellow Catholic blogger Rocco Palmo wrote:

Archbishop Timothy Dolan

If they go [with the continuation of Cardinal George’s candidness], the prime figure who rises above the rest in the minds of the bunch is that of the archbishop of New York. So it seems, the conference’s traditional paranoia over investing electoral prominence in the already high-profile holder of a major post has dimmed considerably… but what’s more — as one B16 appointee put it to me — thanks to his gifts of presence and his long history forming and encouraging priests, Tim Dolan “was already an inspiration to us long before we became bishops.”

Especially given the straits of recent years, that’s a pretty powerful sentiment. And arguably, Dolan’s all-out defense of the Pope and church in the wake of the European abuse revelations earlier this year, and especially the archbishop’s full-on critique of the “anti-Catholicism” of the New York Times’ have only served to bolster it.

The election of Archbishop Dolan as President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops was a historic event for the American Church. It shows that, as a moral voice in the world, the bishops will not bow to suppression nor will they cave on the basic principles that make up our faith. Furthermore, it shows that the bishops are unified in defending the Holy Father and assuring respect for Catholics in the media.

In the end, the election of Archbishop Dolan should give American Catholics hope for the future of our Church. Let’s all enjoy the ride because the next few years are going to be interesting.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York wrote the following:

I was overjoyed to learn of the appointment of Archbishop José Gomez of San Antonio as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles. He will be a great blessing to the Catholic faithful of our nation’s largest archdiocese, and to the entire Los Angeles community, as well as to my good friend, Cardinal Roger Mahony, who has served the Los Angeles Archdiocese so faithfully for 25 years.

I have known Archbishop Gomez for more than a decade. I cherish his friendship and admire his zeal. I look forward to working together even more closely in the years to come, and assure him of my prayers as he prepares to undertake this new phase of service to Christ and his church.

SOURCE: The Gospel in the Digital Age

PHOTO SOURCE: Global Catholic Radio Conference

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, who ordained Archbishop Gomez as an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Denver, made the following congratulatory remarks upon receiving the news of Gomez’s appointment to L.A.:

Archbishop Gomez first served as a bishop in Denver, and people here remember him with great affection. He played a very big role in making our Hispanic ministry one of the best in the country, but his impact and friendships went well beyond the Hispanic community. He has a great gift for bringing people together from very different backgrounds. He has one of the best minds in the Church in the United States and a great capacity for work, but he combines those qualities with a personal warmth and respect for other people that make him a very effective leader.

The Holy Father has made the perfect choice to lead the Archdiocese of Los Angeles after Cardinal Mahony retires. Archbishop Gomez will serve the Catholic people of Los Angeles with character, courage and good will. It’s a privilege to know him as a brother bishop and also as a friend.

SOURCE: Archdiocese of Denver

Bishop Kevin Farrrell of Dallas wrote:

The Holy Father has made a wise and timely decision in his appointment of Archbishop José Gomez of San Antonio to be co-adjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles and the successor of Cardinal Roger Mahony upon his retirement.

Archbishop Gomez is the first Latino to be named to a major archdiocese. Los Angeles is the largest archdiocese in the United States and is 80% Latino. A native of Monterrey, Mexico and an immigrant himself, he has served in the United States for many years as a priest, auxiliary bishop, and Archbishop of San Antonio.

Cardinal Mahony reaches 75 in February, the age at which he must submit his resignation. The early appointment of a co-adjutor insures a smooth transition of authority. The appointment is also recognition by Pope Benedict XVI of the changing demographics in the Southwest.

At 58, God willing, Archbishop Gomez will lead the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for many years.

We rejoice for him and for the people of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

SOURCE: Bishop Kevin Farrell

And, finally, one of the most important responses of all, the statement from Roger Cardinal Mahony, Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles:

When our Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, informed me that our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, had appointed Archbishop José Gomez to serve as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles, I was so grateful to God for this gift of a Hispanic Archbishop.

I welcome Archbishop Gomez to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles with enthusiasm and personal excitement. The Auxiliary Bishops and I are looking forward to working closely with him over the coming months until he becomes the Archbishop early in 2011.

During the process to select a new Archbishop, I urged that the Archdiocese of Los Angeles deserved to have a Hispanic as the next Archbishop. Los Angeles is the largest Hispanic Diocese or Archdiocese in the United States.

The first four Bishops of the Los Angeles territory were Hispanic Bishops, to be followed by five Bishops/Archbishops of Irish descent, and myself of German and Italian background.

I have known Archbishop Gomez since he became Auxiliary Bishop of Denver in 2001, and subsequently, the Archbishop of San Antonio in 2004. Over the years he has been a most effective leader working with priests serving the Spanish-speaking communities across the country, and his leadership in proclaiming the dignity and rights of our immigrant peoples has helped motivate many people to advocate for our immigrants.

Some may conclude that since Archbishop Gomez was ordained a priest of Opus Dei he must be “conservative.” In fact, these labels of “conservative” and “liberal” are really unhelpful in the life of the Church. We are all called to a deep relationship with Jesus Christ, and I can attest that both of us share a common commitment to Christ and to the Church, and that both of us are interested in promoting the teachings of the Church fully as well as bringing the words and example of Christ to today’s society and world. I consider ourselves to share an equal commitment to the continued growth of the Church here in Los Angeles.

Archbishop Gomez also shares with me a determined effort to make our Church safe for all people, but especially, for children and young people. I look forward to working closely with him to make certain that all our Safeguard the Children programs are fully implemented across the Archdiocese.

Our Archdiocesan Synod concluded in 2003 by establishing six Pastoral Initiatives, the first being a renewed sense of evangelization among our Catholic community. Archbishop Gomez recently wrote two important articles on this topic. The first was entitled Evangelization, Education and the Hispanic Catholic Future in 2009. The second was entitled You Will Be My Witnesses: Pastoral Letter on Evangelization issued in 2010. Both of these pastoral letters will apply well to the Local Church of Los Angeles, and place us on course for a more dynamic outreach to all peoples in the name of Jesus Christ.

During this Year for Priests, Archbishop Gomez published last fall a book entitled Men of Brave Heart: The Virtue of Courage in the Priestly Life.

Archbishop Gomez is the Chair-elect of the Committee on Migrants and Refugee Services of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and will take the leadership in moving the Church’s efforts forward to bring about a more comprehensive immigration reform in our Congress. I eagerly look forward to working directly with him on this important priority of the Church in our country.

There is an interesting link and bond between the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Archdiocese of San Antonio. In 1934, Father Robert E. Lucey of Los Angeles was consecrated as the Bishop of Amarillo, Texas. In 1940, Bishop Lucey became the Archbishop of San Antonio where he worked tirelessly on behalf of the poor and Hispanics. In 1953, a year before the Supreme Court ruling on desegregation in the public schools, Archbishop Lucey integrated all of the Catholic schools in his jurisdiction. He became the executive chairman of the Bishops’ Committee for the Spanish Speaking, and helped to focus the Church’s attention upon all of those immigrants across our country who needed the Church’s voice on their behalf.

To you, Archbishop Gomez, I not only extend the most warm and cordial bienvenida, but I also ask you to experience and appreciate the wonderful, dynamic Local Church of Los Angeles. As the Archdiocese of Los Angeles continues to grow over the coming year, it is our mutual challenge to deepen the faith life of all our Catholics and to assist them in witnessing their faith to all of their brothers and sisters.

I again welcome you with my eager enthusiasm as I complete my service as the Archbishop of Los Angeles in 2011, and you assume that role for the coming years.

SOURCE: Cardinal Roger Mahony Blogs L.A.

PHOTO SOURCE: AP