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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.”

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