Washington D.C., Jan 20, 2021 / 11:50 am (CNA).- As Joe Biden took office as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, individual U.S. bishops offered statements of prayer and congratulations.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York tweeted, “Today of all days, we’re one nation under God. In God we trust. We pray with and for President [Joe Biden] and ask that the Holy Spirit bring him wisdom and guidance.”
Today of all days, we’re one nation under God. In God we trust. We pray with and for President @JoeBiden and ask that the Holy Spirit bring him wisdom and guidance. pic.twitter.com/d8NBqVXvPr
— Cardinal Dolan (@CardinalDolan) January 20, 2021
Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago also tweeted, “Join me in prayer for President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris who assume office today. May God give them and all elected officials the strength and wisdom needed to heal this nation and build up the common good.”
Join me in prayer for President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris who assume office today. May God give them and all elected officials the strength and wisdom needed to heal this nation and build up the common good.
— Cardinal Cupich (@CardinalBCupich) January 20, 2021
Cardinal Joseph Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark tweeted, “Let your light shine on us, Lord, as we begin a new chapter in our nation’s history. Heal our wounds. Unite us in justice, charity and peace for all.”
Earlier in the morning, the U.S. bishops’ conference was scheduled to release a statement by president Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, offering prayers for Biden and noting areas of agreement but also disagreement between the bishops and the incoming administration.
The statement was not released until the afternoon, after Biden was sworn in to office and around the time Pope Francis published a message to the new president.
“At a time when the grave crises facing our human family call for farsighted and united responses, I pray that your decisions will be guided by a concern for building a society marked by authentic justice and freedom, together with unfailing respect for the rights and dignity of every person, especially the poor, the vulnerable and those who have no voice,” the pope said Jan. 20.
As CNA reported, the text of Gomez’s statement–particularly the expression of concern about some of Biden’s public policy positions on abortion, marriage, gender, and contraception–received some opposition within the conference.
“My prayers are with our new President and his family today,” Archbishop Gomez said, adding that he looks 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,” he said.
Other bishops offered prayers for Biden while also stating their support for Archbishop Gomez.
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois said in a statement that while, “It is true that the Catholic Church shares the President’s concern for justice in matters of the economy, health care, and immigration,” there are several of the president’s policy positions “at odds with Catholic teaching about the dignity and integrity of human life.”
“In this regard, given the President’s public profession of full communion with the Church, I am pleased that Archbishop Gomez has spoken on behalf of all the bishops of the United States,” Paprocki said.
“I join Archbishop Gomez and my brother bishops in praying that President Biden will be an effective and virtuous leader of our great nation and that he will truly seek healing and unity, which will necessarily include respect for the God-given freedom of people of faith to practice their religion freely,” he said.
Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia also tweeted that “I share the sentiments of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statement via Archbishop José H. Gomez.”
Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington said in a statement, “I ask Catholics and people of goodwill to pray for all elected leaders as they take on the task of carrying out the nation’s work.”
“We pray also for peace, civility and unity in our nation. The smooth transition of power is a hallmark of our extraordinary American experience and vital to the endurance of our thriving republic,” Burbidge said.
Burbidge also offered prayers for Biden’s conversion on his public position on the issue of abortion.
“Please pray that our new President will uphold the truths revealed and proclaimed in the Catholic Faith he professes. May the Lord grant him the wisdom and compassion to protect the most vulnerable, especially the unborn; respect the dignity of all people; uphold the traditional family as the foundation of society; defend the principle of religious freedom upon which this nation was founded; and advocate for the rights of the poor,” he said.
Bishop Robert Deeley of the Diocese of Portland, Maine, said in a statement, “Every day we should thank God for the blessings of liberty, freedom, and democracy.”
“These are the characteristics of the American experience on full display today in our nation’s capital with the inauguration of the 46th President of the United States, Joseph R. Biden, Jr.” Deely said. “I join with my brother bishops in congratulating him on his election and inauguration. An inauguration is a beginning. That really means that the work of all of us has just begun as together we build our nation.”
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I like to know why I read this in the news and the diocese claims to be settling there claims. I have been. Upfront honest and Also investigated since the fall of. 2020
By the diocese and a special investigator that I had to tell every single detail too. And was going completely credible by every one in June 2021. And I can say the diocese did everything by the book. And I did get. A zoom meeting with the bishop and he did sincerely apologize and it helped me very much But as I have told the bishop office and my lawyer that I am now doing my best to recover and im in a pretty tough spot. As I cannot hold a job. And im in quite al a lot of pain. Pinched nerves arthritis in my neck that’s so bad some times i can’t do much. And i am tryin to also heal from the clergy abuse that I kept secret 40 yrs. So All that and now even behind on rent I could be homeless at my age. Again and I can’t get any help from the government there is no help for my situation age and pains recovering from all that. And The answers I’m getting are it may take maybe years before anything or any answers to the civil suit I filled last yr. Will be settled if there is any thing done at all to help me. To me some one is not telling the truth my lawyer says since last august there has not been one move forward what so ever.and I read the article that says the diocese is continuing to help the past survivors. I must be reading that wrong The most upsetting thing is I already have been investigated by the diocese and they had a board meeting and I was found credible and I have all the texts and emails. Why do I have to go live on the streets again. And maybe not live through that this time. I’m upset and not going to go quietly with out trying to let people know. That nothing Is moving forward with my suit. And I was investigated what about the other hundreds of people in the
Same spot. That are starting as of last august that are hurting. Isn’t there a time period that the church must respond and try to help us or there lawyers are that smart they can keep pushing this off as long as they want. Idk if that’s the case I guess I will never get help and they all hope I just die off and that’s it. I do not to let my brain work that way. Because as I sat the bishop was very kind and respectful to me but no one has offered me and kind of financial help or I definitely would have not filled a suit that I thought Atleast there was a fund set up to help us survivors. Get a chance to recover and not on a park bench. I don’t know what else to do or say. But if they diocese Is truly trying to hell us. They sure know how to get to my lawyer because I’m not aloud to talk to there lawyers. Or I would go Right down to there office and put them on the spot.
Thank you for listening and if there is anything I can do. Or make any statements about any of this. I don’t have much more to lose now. I think being homeless again is as far down i can go. Or death
I have tried to get help from every single government and state agencies. It seems As now there isn’t a type of funding for this sexual abuse yet in the data base. Especially after filling last year. Not one thing has been done to help the survivor as these law suits may drag on for years for some of us. Thank you for listening and I posted my fund page as it gives much more of my story.
https://gofund.me/dd2ca1c2
518-368-2856. Cell I will answer any questions i can If necessary