SPRINGFIELD– Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois issued the following statement on the inauguration of President Joe Biden:
“The statement released today by Archbishop José Gomez, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, marking the inauguration of President Joe Biden, is a welcome message of unity and collaboration. I fully support the message and agree with it in its entirety.
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“It is true that the Catholic Church shares the President’s concern for justice in matters of the economy, health care, and immigration. It is also true that several of the President’s policy positions are 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. 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.”