In contrast, 6 out of 10 Latino Catholics supported Harris, and 4 out of 10 supported Trump. In Baltimore, the bishops' meeting goes beyond electoral politics to include cold and bureaucratic matters such as the approval of the annual budget and 'three action points related to liturgical texts.'
While Vice President Kamala Harris staunchly defended the right to abortion, Trump, in his opinion, is also not an anti-abortion warrior. Camosy cited Trump's statement about being 'great for women and their reproductive rights,' as well as his support for in vitro fertilization and state autonomy over abortion.
Vance, a Catholic convert, is part of the growing traditionalist wing of the church. In this election, Trump strengthened his support among Catholics compared to 2020, according to AP VoteCast, a survey that includes more than 120,000 voters. Overall, Catholics supported Trump: 54% supported him, and 44% supported Harris, but there was a racial divide.
As U.S. bishops gather for their annual fall meeting this week in Baltimore, the specter of the resounding victory of elected President Donald Trump will loom over the deliberations. Trump's upcoming administration presents promises and challenges for the main political concerns of U.S. Catholic leaders, which include abortion and immigration.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), congratulated Trump on his victory in a statement, while emphasizing that the Church 'is not aligned with any political party.' Catholic teaching prioritizes both ending abortion and humanitarian attention to migrants. In Trump, as for many American Christians, Catholics find an imperfect leader.
His rhetoric against abortion has varied. Although Trump has claimed credit for ending the federal right to abortion, he has wavered on the idea of a national ban and has said that abortion policies should be left to state decisions. Regarding policies on migrants, the Republican offers a less encouraging picture for Catholic leaders. Trump has campaigned three times on tough immigration policies and has promised to carry out 'the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.'
Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, who chairs the migration committee of the U.S. bishops, expressed concern about the impact of the immigration measures anticipated by Trump. Catholic and religious organizations have long taken on most of the care for migrants on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, who also serves on the migration committee of the bishops, expressed a tone of 'cautious optimism' about a second term for Trump. Wenski was relieved that Florida's abortion rights amendment failed, garnering 57% support when it needed 60% to prevail. 'Even when we lose, we are not defeated.' Both Latino and white Catholics showed diversity in their electoral preferences, highlighting the complexity of Catholic support in the current political landscape.