The first three weeks of Trump’s second term as president have been marked by disruption, cruelty, and intentional disregard for human dignity at home and abroad. It is remarkable, then, that we haven’t heard more from the USCCB. While I am grateful for the leadership of Cardinal McElroy, who on Sunday in San Diego concelebrated a prayer vigil in support of immigrants, and the pro-immigrant statements of Cardinal Cupich and Bishop Seitz, as well as of Bishop Flores at the recent Ecclesia in America Network conference at the University of San Diego, we still have not seen a surge of protest from the USCCB as a collective body. The trickle of weak statements from the USCCB Office of Public Affairs in the past three weeks does not match the urgency and gravity of the current constitutional crisis put in motion by the new administration. Today Pope Francis stepped into the vacuum – focusing on the issue of migration. But these are not the only threats to human dignity in the wide-ranging actions of President Trump as his cronies.
It seems quaint to remember that in January of 2020, Archbishop Gomez thought it was a good idea to scold Catholic president Joseph Biden on the basis of what Gomez described as the “preeminent priority” of abortion. As I argue in my book, Catholic bishops’ focus on overturning Roe v. Wade and elevating abortion politics as the guiding feature of Catholic political work cemented the US bishops with partisan interests and allies so focused on “protecting unborn life” that they ignored other threats to human dignity in our social fabric today. A hyperfocus on criminalizing abortion gave preachers easy talking points in which they could argue that abortion was the preeminent issue for voters, implying for voters that a vote for Trump was morally virtuous despite the overwhelming evidence that the Republican party’s platform did not align with Catholic teachings regarding anti-racism, care for prisoners, the dignity of immigrants and refugees, economic justice, health care, and more. The Trump plan is not about building bridges or respecting the law. It is about destroying the very scaffolding of public order and justice.
Where was the USCCB outcry after the Republican convention last summer when voters held up signs saying “Mass Deportation Now”? Where was the USCCB outcry as Trump celebrated blocking the bipartisan immigration/borders bill in February 2024? Where was the USCCB outcry as Trump repeatedly lied on the campaign trail? Where is a statement by the USCCB defending the role of the media and supporting a fair and free press? Where is a statement by the USCCB defending food programs, foreign aid, PEPFAR, USAID? Broglio doesn’t even try to scold Trump. He basically says that some executive orders will be good and some won’t. “It is our hope that the leadership of our Country will reconsider those actions which disregard not only the human dignity of a few, but of us all.” USCCB leaders could stand on the strength of the Catholic moral tradition’s defense of human rights, economic justice, and commitment to a government that serves the common good. But they let themselves get distracted by thinking they needed to advocate for pro-Church “religious freedom” policies –policies that affirm their own power–instead of focusing on those who will be the victims of Trumpism 2.0.
Catholic bishops have enormous privilege both in the church and in society. But with that privilege comes great responsibility. Unfortunately, Barron, Broglio, and Dolan seem to care more about being buddies with the new dictator than critics of Trump’s explicitly racist, misogynist, and anti-immigrant agenda. They celebrate orders that they probably lobbied to secure – orders harming trans youth and public education. The people whom Trump has appointed to key positions do not demonstrate any awareness of the common good or the requirements of justice. We are heading for a constitutional crisis that could have been averted. We should not be surprised by the executive actions of this administration. Project 2025 was widely discussed for months.
I want to live in a country in which children have enough to eat, workers are paid fairly for their work, pregnant women feel well supported in making decisions in conscience, and everyone has access to education and safe neighborhoods and health care. Working together to mend the social fabric of the US is not an easy task. We need leaders willing to advocate for the long term common good. A strong leader in this context must publicly rebuke the Trump/Vance agenda that seeks to expand executive power, create disruption in markets, and cut programs that serve the poor. Any talk now is already too late, but we need to play catch up. Now is the time for bold critique of Trumpism 2.0.
