Kind, humble and joyful, Archbishop Timothy Broglio will be an excellent president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said Nov. 17, after returning from the U.S. bishops’ meeting in Baltimore.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio

“I have known and admired Archbishop Broglio for more than 25 years and am confident that he will be an excellent president for our conference,” the archbishop said in an email interview. “He was exceptionally kind to me when I began my work at the Holy See as a young priest and has consistently offered me an inspiring example of humble and joyful service to the Church. His willingness to take on this new position, in addition to his already weighty responsibilities as shepherd for U.S. military around the globe, is nothing short of heroic,” the archbishop said.

Asked about a perception among some that Archbishop Broglio’s election shows the bishops may not have the same priorities as Pope Francis in building a Church that is more synodal in nature, Archbishop Hebda said didn’t see evidence of that.

“To the contrary, I think that Archbishop Broglio is particularly well-poised to lead the conference in the synodal direction,” Archbishop Hebda said. “I’ve served the past two years on a planning committee that Archbishop Broglio chaired and I was consistently impressed by both his collaborative style and his explicit commitment to integrating the priorities of Pope Francis into the life of the Church in the United States. His service in the Vatican’s diplomatic corps, moreover, has assisted him in developing exceptional listening skills while giving him a first-hand experience of many of the issues that are at the heart of Pope Francis’ teaching.”

Bishops at the fall assembly heard reports and advanced plans on several initiatives, including the three-year National Eucharistic Revival, led by former auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Bishop Andrew Cozzens, now bishop of Crookston. It has “incredible momentum,” Bishop Cozzens told the bishops, pointing out how the three-year initiative launched this summer on the feast of Corpus Christi with eucharistic processions around the country.

Archbishop Hebda said Bishop Cozzens’s great work on behalf of the Revival is particularly encouraging to him. “It’s wonderful to see his gifts being utilized on such a large stage and in a way that will bring great blessings to the Church in the United States,” the archbishop said.

The archbishop of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services since 2007, Archbishop Broglio was elected Nov. 15 to a three-year term as president of the USCCB during the bishop’s fall assembly. A native of suburban Cleveland, the archbishop was chosen from a slate of 10 nominees, winning with 138 votes. Archbishop Broglio worked in the Vatican diplomatic corps before being named the head of the military archdiocese.

In subsequent voting, Archbishop William Lori was elected vice president. He was elected on the third ballot by 143 to 96 in a runoff with Bishop Kevin Rhodes of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana. Under USCCB bylaws, the vice president is elected from the remaining candidates.

Archbishop Broglio also has been an advocate for pro-life causes. Just hours after being elected, the archbishop said told reporters that he is willing to meet with public officials, including President Joe Biden, to discuss public policy issues of concern to the Church.

“I don’t see my role as political, but if there is any way to insert the Gospel into all aspects of life in our country, I certainly will not miss any occasion to do that,” Archbishop Broglio said.

He said his predecessor as president, Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, had desired to meet with Biden, but that such an opportunity did not present itself since Biden’s election two years ago.

After Biden was elected in 2020, Archbishop Gomez announced the formation of a working group of bishops to address issues surrounding the election of a Catholic president and policies that may come about that would be in conflict with Catholic teaching and the bishops’ priorities.

The outcome of that effort eventually led to the bishops issuing a statement on the importance of holy Communion in the life of the Catholic Church and did not address any conflicts between the stances of Catholic elected officials and Church teaching on the dignity of life.

In response to a question about why he was elected and the perception that his election showed that the U.S. bishops may not have the same priorities on synodality as Pope Francis, Archbishop Broglio said that query was better asked of his fellow bishops.

“I don’t know the answer to that question,” he said.

“As far as I know, I’m certainly in communion with Pope Francis as part of the universal Church. As brother bishops, we certainly know each other. I’m not aware that this indicates some dissonance with Pope Francis,” the archbishop continued.

He also said he planned to ensure that progress continues toward the upcoming Synod of Bishops on synodality. The process is now in the continental phase, where bishops’ conferences are meeting to discuss what issues to bring forward when the bishops meet in Rome in October.

Catholic News Service contributed to this report.