The 2016 United States elections are a time of tension and reflection for many Americans. For Catholic bishops, it's not so different.
“It's always a joy to be a bishop, it’s always a challenge to be a bishop,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York told CNA.
“I think in an election year, the challenges might outweigh the joys.”
He said bishops have the same duties and concerns as other Americans.
“We're American citizens, we’re responsible, we’re loyal, we’re thoughtful. We study the issues, we try our best to be engaged in the process,” he said.
“We're also pastors, so we try to remind our people of those basic biblical values, those classical Catholic values that have guided us through the ages, particularly as articulated by John Paul II: the dignity of the human person, the sacredness of human life, solidarity.
“Those are three things that we keep hammering away on. And we trust that our people under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit will make the right decision.”
Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore also reflected on the state of the country.
“It’s always a grace and a challenge to be a bishop, and it’s an especially bracing challenge during an election year,” he told CNA.
In such a time, he said, bishops need “to teach, and teach clearly … that which is most important.”
All the moral issues that face the U.S. are important and deserving of respect, he maintained.
“There are some that are truly life or death,” he said, referring to issues of human dignity and its “obliteration.”
For Archbishop Lori, bishops must provide guidance: “We certainly have to lay out the issues clearly and in their proper order.”
The release of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s note, Mater Populi Fidelis , on November 4, 2025, seems to have sparked some immediate and widespread confusion, driven largely by sensationalist headlines from secular sources. In response to requests, particularly surrounding a potential Fifth Marian Dogma of Spiritual Maternity , the DDF addressed the usage of titles like Co-redemptrix and Mediatrix. Unfortunately, this has led to a large contingent online and in the media claiming that the Church has "tossed out" centuries of doctrine, with some outside the Church even proclaiming a "victory" over Catholic teaching (This may be the saddest part of it all, that we as Christians, are "competing" with each other). It is essential to understand that this doctrinal note is fundamentally about titles and clarity, not doctrine and change according to the Vatican News. The true teachings regarding Mary's unique role in salvation remain inviolabl...