Archbishop of Los Angeles José H. Gomez issued the following statement upon being elected President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore, Maryland on November 12, 2019.
I am humbled by this vote and my brother bishops’ trust in me.
This election is an honor for me. and it recognizes the beautiful diversity and the missionary spirit of the family of God in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. But it is also a recognition of the essential place that Latino Catholics hold in the life of the Church and in the life of our great nation.
We are living in a moment of hope and renewal in the Church.
United with our Holy Father Pope Francis, I look forward to working with my brother bishops to inspire our Catholic people to follow Jesus Christ in holiness and love and to continue our mission of spreading the mercy of God and building his Kingdom on earth.
I entrust these next three years to the maternal care of Our Lady of Guadalupe and I ask the prayers of my fellow Catholics — all our priests, deacons, and seminarians; all our consecrated men and women; and especially our lay people, who are so vital in carrying forward the Church’s mission.
