Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About the New Health Care Reform Law and the U.S. Bishops

Thanks to the North Dakota Catholic Conference for this helpful resource!

Did the Catholic bishops of the United States support the final version of the health care reform law?
No. Although the bishops have for decades supported universal health care, they opposed the final bill because (1) it failed to preserve the status quo with regards to abortion funding, (2) it unjustly discriminated against immigrants, and (3) failed to adequately protect conscience rights.

If the bishops really wanted health care reform, why didn’t they accept the bill as “less than perfect,” but better than nothing?
Certain principles cannot be compromised, especially those concerning the protection of human life, religious liberty, and the dignity of human persons. No matter how much good a proposed law might do, it cannot be supported if it violates those fundamental principles.

Archbishop José Gomez named to be successor to Cardinal Mahony upon his retirement as Archbishop of Los Angeles

The people of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the largest archdiocese in the United States, now know who will be the successor to Cardinal Roger M. Mahony upon his retirement. Archbishop José Gomez has been named the "coadjutor archbishop" of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Pope Benedict XVI, which carries with it the right of succession. As coadjutor archbishop, Archbishop Gomez will aid Cardinal Mahony in the governance of the diocese and would take his place if he is absent or impeded. The appointment was made public by the Vatican this morning at 5 a.m. San Antonio time.

The Vatican did not name a successor to Archbishop Gomez when making the announcement.