Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the newly elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), met with President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other Trump administration officials at the White House Jan. 12.
In a statement posted on X, the USCCB said the leaders “discussed areas of mutual concern, as well as areas for further dialogue” and that “Archbishop Coakley is grateful for the engagement and looks forward to ongoing discussions.”
The White House has not yet released details from the closed-door meeting. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told EWTN correspondent Owen Jensen Jan. 12 that she would check whether Trump would provide a readout of the meeting.
Immigration was likely among the topics discussed; Archbishop Coakley, who assumed the USCCB presidency in November, has previously signaled it would be a priority in conversations with the administration. Appearing on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” on Dec. 21, he said immigration would “undoubtedly” come up and stressed that border security and respect for human dignity are not mutually exclusive.
“There’s no conflict necessarily between advocating for safe and secure borders and treating people with respect and dignity,” Archbishop Coakley said. “We always have to treat people with God-given dignity.”
The Jan. 12 meeting follows recent comments by Trump that prompted a public response from the U.S. bishops. Earlier this month, Trump told Republicans to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment during health care negotiations. In response, the USCCB produced a statement, eliciting a statement from the USCCB rejecting any effort to allow taxpayer funding for abortion.
Archbishop Coakley also said on “Face the Nation” that he believes the bishops and the administration “have opportunities to work together” and to “speak frankly with one another.”
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As CatholicVote previously reported, Archbishop Coakley was ordained a priest in 1983 and has served on multiple USCCB committees. In 2023, he authored a pastoral letter on how to charitably and truthfully accompany individuals who experience gender dysphoria and currently serves on advisory boards of the Napa Institute, the Pope Paul VI Institute, and the Institute on Religious Life, among others.
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