BALTIMORE, Maryland, November 15, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – The U.S. bishops elected Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, TX, as their president and Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles as their vice president on Tuesday morning.
They will each serve a three-year term.
DiNardo easily won the first ballot with 113 votes. Gomez's election took several rounds with him ultimately facing off against New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond. Gomez received 131 votes and Aymond received 84.
At last year's bishops' meeting, DiNardo clashed with progressive bishops like Bishop Robert McElroy, who sought to downplay the Church's moral teachings on life and family. DiNardo defended Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. bishops' (USCCB) voting guide.
DiNardo has defended Church teaching on marriage and has strongly defended the pro-life cause. He said he hoped Pope Francis would use his speech to Congress to talk about the family and the defense of the unborn.
DiNardo was previously vice president of the USCCB. His term ended with the 2016 November USCCB meeting. DiNardo has also served as chairman on the USCCB's Committee of Pro-life Activities. He is a member of the Pontifical Council for Culture, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, the Pontifical Council for the Economy, and is on the Board of Trustees of Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Gomez has also spoken out on behalf of the pro-life cause, telling the faithful that abortion and euthanasia “stand alone” among today’s injustices in the U.S. He also frequently speaks in support of immigration, an issue about which Gomez has been vocal during and after the 2016 presidential election.