US bishops’ conference elects first Hispanic vice president
*The U.S. bishop’s sent a message, the church will stand by immigrants. VL
By Dennis Coday, National Catholic Reporter
Electing a president and vice president from regions with high immigrant populations, the U.S. bishops’ conference could be seen to be doubling down on the pledge to stand with immigrants and refugees.
Meeting in Baltimore this morning for the fall annual meeting, the U.S. bishops elected Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, Texas, to serve as president for the next three years and Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles as vice president for a three-year term.
DiNardo’s election was expected. He had been elected vice president three years ago, and by tradition the vice president is elected president. He won with 113 votes, 55 percent of votes cast, on the first ballot.
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It took three votes to elect a vice president. Gomez had the plurality of votes in the first two ballots and won with a simple majority on the third ballot with 133 votes. Second place in the three votes was Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans.
[Photo courtesy of CNS]
