The bishops of the United States extended their congratulation President-elect Donald Trump and elected officials in the recent U.S. elections. "Now is the time to move from campaigning to governing," noted Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, archbishop of the U.S. Military Services and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
"We live in a democracy and yesterday Americans went to the polls to choose the next president of the United States. It is time to move from campaigning to governing in a peaceful transition," the prelate noted.
Broglio also asserted that neither the Catholic Church nor the USCCB are aligned with any political party because no matter who occupies the White House, "the teachings of the Church remain unchanged, and we bishops look forward to working with the elected representatives of the people to promote the common good of all".
Because of the narrative anti-immigrant and belligerent characteristic of Donald Trump, the USCCB president urged the new administration to treat everyone with charity, including immigrants: "As Christians and as Americans, we have a duty to treat one another with charity, respect and civility, even if we disagree on how to conduct public policy matters. We must also care about those outside our borders."
Finally, Bishop Broglio asked the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States, for her intercession so that the new administration will help "defend the common good, promote the dignity of the human person, especially the most vulnerable, including the unborn, the poor, foreigners, the elderly and the sick, and migrants".
