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The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) elected Archbishop Paul Coakley, a conservative Catholic leader, as the new USCCB president on Tuesday. Why it Matters The election of Coakley as president of the USCCB comes at a pivotal moment for the American Catholic Church. His appointment occurs as the U.S. faces renewed debate over immigration, the environment, and other key moral issues, many of which have been shaped by policies enacted during President Donald Trump’s administration. With a large portion of the Catholic faithful directly impacted by these policies, Coakley’s leadership is expected to influence not only the Church’s spiritual direction but also its engagement with national policy debates. Newsweek reached out to the White House and the USCCB by email for comment. What To Know Coakley, of Oklahoma City, was elected as president of the USCCB after three rounds of voting. He will serve a three-year term. Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, was elected vice president in the same session. Coakley’s leadership comes at a time when the Church is addressing issues such as immigration enforcement, polarization over the death penalty, and debates around the state of the environment. Coakley on Mass Deportation Although Coakley is considered a conservative voice in the Catholic church, he has been a vocal critic of the mass deportation efforts during Trump’s administration, expressing the distress these policies cause among immigrant communities. In a statement published in February, Coakley said that mass deportations were "creating fear and even distress for our immigrant, migrant and refugee neighbors who have arrived in search of the same dreams that awaited many of our ancestors at a different moment in time." He added that while illegal immigration was wrong and countries should be able to protect their borders, "we must also reflect that the majority of undocumented immigrants in Oklahoma are upstanding members of our communities and churches, not violent criminals." Coakley on the Environment In 2022, Coakley praised the Biden administration's White House Council on Environmental Quality for restoring environmental provisions that would require increased consideration of the environmental impacts of federal projects after the council reduced the requirements in 2020 under Trump's leadership. Coakley called the restored provisions “a vital guardrail against ecological and social harm," The Dialog reported. Coakley and Capital Punishment Coakley also has been critical of the death penalty. Although not a Trump policy, Trump called for the death penalty to be used for anyone who commits murder in Washington, D.C., calling it a "very strong preventative." “The use of the death penalty only contributes to the continued coarsening of society and to the spiral of violence,” Coakley said in 2022, according to a report from Religion Unplugged. What People Are Saying Coakley, in a post on X after his election: "Once again, the Lord is inviting me to put out into deep waters in calling me to accept this service and burden of leadership today. I accept it in faith and with great hope. I ask for the prayers of all of the clergy, religious women and men and the faithful of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. I have great confidence in the staff of both the USCCB and our own archdiocese. They will help me shoulder these responsibilities. Please pray that I may be a faithful steward and a wise servant of unity and communion with our Holy Father, Pope Leo, and with my brother bishops and priests." USCCB in a post about immigration in November 2024: "Our country deserves an immigration system that offers fair and generous pathways to full citizenship for immigrants living and working for many years within our borders. We need a system that provides permanent relief for childhood arrivals, helps families stay together, and welcomes refugees." What Happens Next Coakley’s three-year term as USCCB president begins as Trump’s administration pushes ahead on immigration and social policies with significant impact on the Church’s membership. Coakley has signaled a steady leadership approach, seeking to uphold doctrinal consistency while addressing the pastoral needs of communities most affected by new or intensified policies.
