FROM VATICAN NEWS:
Archbishop Broglio: Pope Leo understands the Church in the U.S
By Christopher Wells and Linda Bordoni
The leadership of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), headed by its president, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, was received in audience on Friday morning by Pope Leo XIV. Following the meeting, Archbishop Broglio spoke with Vatican News about the encounter and the significance of the new pontificate for the Church in the United States.
“It was a very pleasant meeting,” Archbishop Broglio said, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to meet with the Holy Father. He noted that he had met Pope Leo previously when the latter served as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and during the Synod of Bishops.
Asked about his feelings regarding having “an American Pope on the throne of Peter", the archbishop highlighted the Holy Father’s “vast experience” and deep familiarity with the global Church.
“He lived here in Europe for many years, was a missionary and then a bishop in Peru, and later served as prefect of the dicastery,” he said. “The fact that you can speak to the Holy Father in your native language, which is also his, gives a certain immediacy. You feel you have an older brother walking with you—and that is a great blessing.”
A deep understanding of the U.S. Church
Answering a question about whether Pope Leo’s background might affect relations between the Holy See and the Church in the United States, the USCCB President said he believed it would.
“He certainly knows that reality and has grown up in it,” he noted. “The refrain that ‘they don’t understand us over here’ doesn’t fit anymore, because he certainly does understand us.”
At the same time, Archbishop Broglio underlined that the U.S. bishops have always maintained close communion with the Bishop of Rome.
“The bishops and the Church in the United States as a whole have always been very closely allied to the Pope, with a desire to work in unity with him,” he said, adding, “We have been very faithful to Peter, very anxious to hear Peter’s voice and to follow it.”
Dialogue on migration and the Gospel
During Friday’s audience, the bishops discussed key pastoral concerns, including migration and the transmission of the Gospel: “We talked about the challenges we face when people align themselves more quickly with political positions than with the message of the Gospel,” Archbishop Broglio said.
“I took home some good lessons from the Holy Father about that very subject,” he said.
Migration, he added, was a topic close to both the Pope’s heart and that of the U.S. bishops. “We are a country of migrants,” he said, noting, “That has been, some might view it as our trial, but also our greatest strength.”
Migrants, he agreed, make up a huge part of the American church, recalling that when his own father started school in New York City, “he was unable to say a word of English!”
Collegiality in action
The archbishop also reflected on the spirit of collaboration between the Holy See and the U.S. episcopate. He recalled a letter about the issue of migration that Pope Francis had sent to the bishops and how the bishops had reacted and welcomed it: “That letter represents a clear example of collegiality—of Peter working with the apostolic college to bring the Gospel message home,” he noted.
“I was grateful we could use that letter to preach the Gospel to our brothers and sisters in the United States,” he said.
Overcoming polarization
Turning to the theme of polarization, Archbishop Broglio echoed Pope Leo’s frequent appeals for unity. “What unites us is the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.
“Every bishop is ordained to be an effective preacher of the Word of God. Sometimes there’s a tendency to listen to other voices, but the bishop of the diocese and the Holy Father for the universal Church are really the voice that speaks of Jesus Christ,” he reiterated.
He acknowledged the diversity among U.S. bishops but highlighted their unity of purpose: “We try to give space for bishops to speak their mind, but in the end, when we speak to our people, we strive to speak with a united voice.”
“It’s not enough to preach the truth,” we must also find a way to preach it so that people can accept it, the archbishop affirmed.
A message of encouragement
Archbishop Broglio said he would bring back to his brother bishops the Holy Father’s encouragement and affection.
“I will take back the fact that the Pope loves us very much, that he understands us, and that he wants us to work harder to make the Gospel come alive,” he said, adding, “We have to help our brothers and sisters recognize that the truth of the Gospel surpasses any other sort of division that might separate us.”
Expressing gratitude for the audience, he added, “The Pope gave us almost an hour of his time, which is very precious. I am also grateful for the tremendous availability of the Apostolic See to the bishops.”
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