Baltimore, Md., Nov 15, 2022 / 17:50 pm (CNA).
In his first press conference after being elected president of the U.S. bishops conference, Archbishop Timothy Broglio said Tuesday that he’d be “happy” to meet with President Joe Biden, a Catholic whose position on abortion, transgenderism, and gay marriage is sharply at odds with Church teaching.
In a brief press conference, Broglio, who is the prelate for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, also spoke on the connection between homosexuality and the clergy sex abuse crisis, and his relationship with Pope Francis as a “brother bishop,” among other topics.
“Well, certainly I will look forward to any occasion that I have to dialogue with political leaders in the United States. I don’t see my role as primarily political, but if there is any way to insert the Gospel into all aspects of life in our country, I certainly will not miss any occasion to do that,” Broglio said to reporters in Baltimore, where the U.S. bishops are having their annual fall assembly.
“I know that there has been a great desire on the part of the outgoing presidency [of Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles] to meet with the president and that hasn’t been possible. If it’s possible in the future, I’ll certainly take advantage of that opportunity,” he added.
“So you want to meet with the president?” a reporter asked.
“If he wants to meet with me, I’ll be happy to meet with him,” Broglio responded.
Answering more questions, Broglio stood by prior comments he made about homosexuality being related to the sexual abuse crisis.
One reporter asked Broglio about a 2018 email he sent in which he said that “There is no question that the crisis of sexual abuse by priests in the USA is directly related to homosexuality.” The contents of the email were reported by military.com.
The reporter asked about Broglio’s thoughts on the topic now.
“I think it is certainly an aspect of the sexual crisis that can’t be denied,” he said. “And that’s certainly not to point a finger at anyone, but I think it would be naïve to suggest that there’s no relationship between the two.”
Another reporter asked Broglio his thoughts on why he was elected, including what he would say to those “who would characterize [his] election as showing different priorities from those of Pope Francis.”
“I think you’d probably have to ask my brother bishops why they elected me because I really don’t know the answer to that question,” Broglio answered.
“And as far as I know, I’m certainly in communion with Pope Francis, as part of a universal Church. We’re brother bishops, we certainly know each other. I’m not aware that this necessarily indicates some dissonance with Pope Francis,” he added.
Broglio, 70, was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cleveland in 1977. From 1990 to 2001, he served as a personal secretary to Pope John Paul II’s former secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.
In 2001, Broglio was named apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic and apostolic delegate to Puerto Rico and was ordained as an archbishop by Pope John Paul II. He was installed as the fourth archbishop of the Military Services, USA, in 2008 and has served in that role for 14 years.
He has been a defender of religious-freedom protections for those serving in the military. Last year, he spoke out against mandating military personnel to receive the COVID-19 vaccine against their conscience.
Broglio will begin his three-year term as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at the conclusion of the bishops’ assembly on Thursday.
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.
“And that’s certainly not to point a finger at anyone,”
Therein lies the problem. The elephant in the room needs to have many fingers pointed at it, your Excellency.
As if Jesus never pointed a finger at the Pharisees?
A bishop’s function is to teach, rule/govern, and to sanctify. To meet with and dialogue? That sounds weak to me.
I agree with a previous post – some finger pointing is needed.
I hope this election is an indication that the bishops will stand up for life, sexual norms, religious freedom and the entire teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. They have been reluctant to call out those who proclaim “devout Catholic” status while promoting abortion on demand throughout all nine months and to shortly after birth. I was hoping the bishops would elect Archbishop Cordileone who has denied Communion to Nancy Pelosi in his archdiocese because of her adamant stance against protecting babies in the womb. All the bishops should be of that attitude in favor of Canon 915.
. . . and Archbishop Broglio should at least ask for a meeting with Joe Biden who will never ask to meet with Broglio.
Military Archbishop Broglio brings a military directness to his new assignment, a good, hopeful sign. Gary Lockhart identifies what many of us believe is the crux of the problem within the Church insofar as policy. Broglio’s ‘not to point the finger’ appears an allusion to Francis. A Roman pontiff, he surprisingly, in a positive sense, refers to as a fellow bishop, indicating a proactive approach absolutely needed by the USCCB if it is to be an effective representative body of Catholicism.
Certainly, the new USCCB president has to tread intelligently [not fearfully] in relation to this. Head to head meetings with Francis as well as Biden are definitely in order. The optics alone sends a needed message with possible good effect.
Archbishop Broglio has a unique opportunity to perform a desperately needed service for the Church and the nation that his predecessors declined to accept. A “willingness to meet with” President Biden does not go far enough by a longshot. His Excellency has a grave responsibility to confront Biden and oppose his evil agenda publicly and forcefully. By doing so, he will inevitably incur the wrath of many of his brother bishops and of Pope Francis himself. Francis will swiftly issue a cease-and-desist order. Archbishop will be obliged to defy such an illegitimate command. In this scandal-plagued era, the spectacle of the most powerful politician in the world being a Catholic and promoting the most reprehensible policies possible while referring to himself as “devout” and receiving the Sacrament anytime he chooses, is one of the most egregious. It must end now.
To Archbishop Gomez, why would Biden meet with you when he can go straight to Francis anytime he wants? He neither respects you nor does he fear anything you are willing to do.
Why don’t you just ask Biden for a meeting? There is a specific pastoral connection here as he is the Commander in Chief of the military, your diocese. Seems a little cowardly just to say, “if he wants to talk, I’m available.”
“…little cowardly…” Well, the president does have a bishop in Delaware (and Washington D.C.) who I’m sure are not cowards and have spoken to the man. The new incoming president is not a coward. That is pretty…
“Well, the president does have a bishop in Delaware (and Washington D.C.) who I’m sure are not cowards”(sic)
When it comes to fidelity to and defense of the faith both Wilton Gregory and the former Bishop of Wilmington Francis Malooly have long documented histories of being cowards. The new Bishop of Wilmington William Koenig hasn’t as yet demonstrated that he is any better than his predecessor.
When I see the word ‘dialogue’ used as a verb, not a noun, I get a tad leery.
Prove me wrong – please.
I note that Abp. Broglia does not shy away from linking homosexuality and clergy sex abuse.
When Abp. Broglio was installed as the Archbishop for Military Services USA in 2008, I was serving in Afghanistan, and when I retired from active duty in 2019, he was still in that position. He was an excellent shepherd of his military flock in every way. My fellow Catholic military and Foreign Service members also hold him in great respect and affection, without exception in my experience. He will have many members of his flock praying for him as he assumes his new role.
In his public and ongoing support in favor of abortion, and his stated desire to provide the means for a national law to make abortion legal throughout the the country, the time for dialogue with Biden ended long ago. The new president should follow along the lines of what Archbishop Cordileone did regarding Pelosi, and since Biden has not been warned so far as is known, Broglio should provide the warning to repent and cease his advocacy of abortion within a matter of no more than a few weeks or the directive will go out to all Bishops throughout the country to refuse giving Biden and similar acting “Catholics” Holy Communion.
Then, any Bishop who ignores the directive should be suspended and replaced if he refuses to do the right thing.
Darn. My alarm just went off. I must have been dreaming, but it was a real nice one while it lasted.