Bishops stress standing for dignity of human life following presidential election

BALTIMORE (OSV News) -- The Catholic Church "always insists on the dignity of the human person from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death, and we continue to insist on that," Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services said Nov. 12.

The archbishop, who is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, made the comments in a press briefing on the first of two daylong public sessions during the USCCB's annual fall plenary in Baltimore Nov. 11-14.

He was joined by the chair of the bishops' Committee on Migration, Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, chair of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

The prelates addressed the church's role on several issues in light of the results of the Nov. 5 presidential election. They talked about the importance of the church advocating for the dignity of all human life, particularly on the issues of abortion and immigration as the country prepares for President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration.

Archbishop Broglio said that the bishops "don't encourage illegal immigration," but "we certainly do take care of those who come to this country and really represent the face of Christ in their need."

He expressed the bishops' hope that "there will be an earnest effort to repair the immigration law in this country, and also there will be a renewed respect for the dignity of the human person."

OSV News asked the bishops about potential opportunities and challenges from the new administration on the issues of abortion, in vitro fertilization and immigration.

For all three of those issues, Bishop Burbidge said, "it's the truth that guides us" and "the protection of the sacredness of all human life, the dignity that belongs to every person as a child of God, must be uplifted and defended."

"And so, we will -- as we've always done with all administrations -- continue to dialogue with our elected officials," he said, "to take the opportunities to educate when we can and to have respectful conversations."

Bishop Burbidge was later asked by a reporter from The Associated Press about the results of the abortion ballot amendments at the state level, which included three victories for the pro-life movement, with Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota all rejecting measures adding protections for abortion in their state constitutions. Seven other states adopted protections for abortion in their constitutions in 2024.

Regarding the lessons learned from the ballot measures in the recent election, Bishop Burbidge said that one lesson is "to be ahead of the game, to get out early in messaging because the truth has to be conveyed concisely and in a clear way to all the faithful." He said another major lesson is to clarify "the extreme positions of those who are working to legalize abortion in their states."

He said that reaching out to young people in creative ways was also a key factor in successfully spreading a pro-life message in response to these amendments.

Bishop Seitz told OSV News that while the bishops "always look for ways in which we can collaborate with the administration" and "there will still be areas where we can do that," for "areas where the positions and actions that are taken are contrary to the teaching of the church, then we'll express our right concern."

On immigration, he said the bishops are "concerned based on the rhetoric before the election" and will "be watching what the administration does as it begins to announce its plans."

"We don't want to get ahead of them in a certain sense," he added. "We know that very often the reality is different from the rhetoric, and so we'll watch and respond as needed." He said that for immigrants currently in various stages of the process of receiving legal status, the bishops will assure them of their continued accompaniment and assistance.

In response to a question from Religion News Service about the possibility of mass deportations based on past statements from the Trump campaign, Bishop Seitz said that the bishops "are waiting to see just exactly what takes shape," but he said the bishops would be concerned over such action and would "express that concern that processes unfold in a legal way."

"We will raise our voice loudly if those basic protections for people that have been a part of our country from its very beginning are not being respected," he added. "We think that this is going to be a test for our nation. Are we in fact a nation based on law, on the most fundamental laws about the rights of the human person, or are we not?"

He said that "there are some people that are here who have not taken the steps that they need to or have not respected their opportunity. If there are people who have been convicted of crimes and the like, then the justice system needs to act in appropriate ways."

Bishop Seitz emphasized that the Gospel "isn't simply a set of nice sounding words," but a challenge "to live in a certain way, and when it comes to care for the most vulnerable among us, then that call becomes rather clear."