Bernard Brady, theology professor at the University of St. Thomas, spoke with MPR News about the upcoming election for president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, where Minnesota Bishop Robert Barron is among 10 candidates. Brady discussed the significance of the vote, which will shape the leadership, tone and priorities of the Catholic Church in the United States.
From the article:
A controversial Minnesota bishop is in the running for the most prominent leadership role in the American Catholic Church as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is meeting this week in Baltimore to choose its new president and vice president.
... University of St. Thomas theology professor Bernard Brady said it’s an important election that will essentially set the priorities and the tone of the Catholic Church across the country.
“It’s a big deal because it sets the leadership for the bishops in the United States,” Brady said. “What are they going to talk about? What kind of policy statements are they going to make? The news media would go to him as the spokesperson for the Catholic Church in this country.”
Barron is well known for his Word on Fire media empire of books, videos, web casts, and blogs and has amassed 2.5 million YouTube subscribers. He has close ties to President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, and sits on the president’s Religious Liberty Commission.
This association with Trump could affect his viability in the election. Brady said some of Barron’s fellow bishops may be looking to distance themselves from the president and his administration. ...
