Archbishop Timothy Broglio addressed, through a short video, his first message to the Hispanic community in the United States, from the fall General Assembly of Bishops in Baltimore, where he was elected president of the national episcopal body.
Emphasizing the value of Hispanics for the Church in the country, he said he insists “a lot on the fact that the Hispanics have a lot to offer to the Catholic community in the United States, and it is important to recognize that the culture, the language and also the faith of this community and the strength that the immigrants and those who are already in the United States bring is a very important force that contributes a lot to the growth of the Church that also strengthens our faith.”.
Referring to his own experience, he shared that “we are all immigrants. My father started school without being able to say a word in English. He spoke Italian and the dialect of his village, but he became a cardiologist.”
In this way, Broglio integrated the opportunities that the United States offers to immigrants, with the contributions that they are called to make for the country, saying that “is a possibility that the United States offers, but at the same time it is also something that those who are in the country can also offer: the enthusiasm and the youth that the Hispanic community brings to the country is very important and it is something that we all need to make the church grow in the United States.”.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio was born in 1951 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA. He was secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Abidjan, Ivory Coast (1983-1987) and of the Apostolic Nunciature in Asuncion, Paraguay (1987-1990). From 1990 to 2001 he was chief of staff to Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Secretary of State of Pope John Paul II, and responsible for Central America. In 2001 he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to the Dominican Republic and Apostolic Delegate to Puerto Rico. He was ordained archbishop by Pope John Paul II on March 19, 2001.
On November 19, 2007, archbishop Broglio was appointed the fourth archbishop of the U.S. Military Services. On November 15, 2022, he was elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at its General Assembly. Broglio is fluent in English, Italian, Spanish and French.
The mentioned video is provided by the National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry (NCCHM) and can be accessed through this link:
