Archbishop Timothy Broglio, a Cleveland Heights native, was elected to a three-year term as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on Nov. 15. He is archbishop of the Archdiocese for Military Services, USA and has been serving as USCCB secretary since 2019, when he was chosen to replace Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron, who was elected USCCB vice president.
Baltimore Archbishop William Lori was elected to a three-year term as USCCB vice president.
The archbishops’ leadership roles begin immediately after the USCCB fall meeting concludes on Nov. 17.
Cleveland Bishop Edward Malesic and Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost are among the approximately 100 bishops attending the USCCB meeting this week in Baltimore, Maryland.
Archbishop Broglio, who will be 71 on Dec. 22, is an alumnus of Saint Ignatius High School. He graduated from Boston College before entering Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. There he earned a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology and a doctorate in canon law. On May 19, 1977, he was ordained to the priesthood in Rome.
After ordination, Archbishop Broglio served as associate pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish in South Euclid 1977-1979. He also lectured in theology at Notre Dame College in South Euclid. From 1979-1983, the archbishop attended the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome to prepare for a career in the Vatican diplomatic corps.
He served as secretary of the apostolic nunciature in Abidjan, Ivory Coat 1983-1987 and of the apostolic nunciature in Asuncion, Paraguay 1987-1990. Next, the archbishop served as chief of cabinet to Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state to St. Pope John Paul II and desk officer for Central America 1990-2001.
In February 2001, he was named apostolic nuncio to the Dominican Republic and apostolic delegate to Puerto Rico. He was ordained an archbishop on March 19, 2001 by St. John Paul II.
Archbishop Broglio was named the fourth archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA on Nov. 19 2007. He was installed Jan. 25, 2008 and is based in Washington, D.C. His archdiocese includes members of the U.S. military who are stationed worldwide. The archbishop regularly visits the service men and women. He also is an advocate for pro-life causes.
Whenever possible, he returns to the Cleveland Diocese to visit family and friends. The archbishop enjoys attending the Feast of the Assumption at Holy Rosary Parish in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood. Most recently, he was among 400 canon lawyers attending Canon Law Society of America’s 84th convention in Cleveland Oct. 10-13.
The archbishop was featured in a story about military chaplains that was published in the May/June 2019 issue of Northeast Ohio Catholic magazine.
He has chaired the USCCB Committee in International Justice and Peace and the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance. Archbishop Broglio also was a member of the Task Force for the 2013 Special Assembly. He served on the committees for Religious Freedom and International Justice and Peace and the subcommittees for the Defense of marriage and Health Care.
He is the former chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Doctrine and its Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. He began a three-year term as the bishops' pro-life chairman at the end of the USCCB's 2021 fall assembly.
Archbishop Lori, 71, is a native of Louisville, Kentucky. He was ordained in 1977 for service to the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named him the 16th archbishop of Baltimore.
He is the former chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Doctrine and its Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty. The archbishop began a three-year term as the bishops' pro-life chairman at the end of the USCCB's 2021 fall assembly.
Archbishop Lori is chancellor and chairman of the board of St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, chancellor of Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland and past chairman of the board of trustees of The Catholic University of America in Washington.
He also serves as supreme chaplain of the Knights of Columbus.
Because Archbishop Broglio is the USCCB secretary, the bishops planned to vote Nov. 16 for his replacement. Likewise, Archbishop Lori is chairman of the bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities and his successor will be voted on after the election of conference secretary.
The last Cleveland diocesan native to head the bishops’ conference was the late Cleveland Bishop Anthony Pilla, who served as president 1995-1998, when it was known as the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Click here for more information on the USCCB fall meeting, including a link to the live (and archived) plenary sessions Nov. 15-16.