Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York
reacted to his Nov. 16 election as the new president of the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops by saying he will continue the actions of
the conference “with all vigor I can muster.”
“It’s not like we’re in crisis; it’s not like all of a sudden we need
some daring new initiatives. Thank God for the leadership of Cardinal
Francis George, things are going well,” he commented at a press briefing
following his election.
He also rejected portrayals of the bishops’ conference as split
between “social justice” and “pro-life” factions. These issues are “a
package deal,” he explained, according to the New York Times.
Similarly, he rejected the idea that the bishops are partial to a political party.
"The bishops of the United States are not partisans, they're pastors," he said.
Responding to a question about the 2010 health care legislation, he
said the passage of universal health care was marred by its lack of
protections for the unborn.
“We should have been doing cartwheels,” he commented. However, the
bishops thought the legislation wasn’t comprehensive because “unborn
babies were in danger.”
Archbishop Dolan also discussed the novelty of his being elected over
the sitting bishops’ conference vice president, Bishop Gerald Kicanas
of Tucson.
He suggested that the bishops did not like the idea that
anyone is “a shoo-in” for the position.
The archbishop also downplayed the notion that his election was intended as a message.
“I don't think we bishops sit around thinking about that,” he commented, according to the Washington Post.
SIC: CNA/USA