U.S. Catholic bishops select conservative culture warrior to lead them during Trump’s 2nd term

U.S. Catholic bishops select conservative culture warrior to lead them during Trump’s 2nd term Nation Nov 11, 2025 2:26 PM EST

BALTIMORE (AP) — U.S. Catholic bishops elected Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley as their new president on Tuesday, choosing a conservative culture warrior to lead during President Donald Trump’s second term.

The vote acts as a barometer for the bishops’ priorities. In choosing Coakley, they are doubling down on their conservative bent, even as they push for more humane immigration policies from the Trump administration.

Coakley was seen as a strong contender for the top post, having already been elected in 2022 to serve as secretary, the No. 3 conference official. In three rounds of voting, he beat out centrist candidate Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsvill