Archbishop Timothy Dolan Wins Upset as USCCB President

In a surprising upset, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, holding their fall meeting in Baltimore, Archbishop Timothy Dolan has been elected as president of the conference. Historically, the USSCB has elected the current vice president to the position of president. The current vice president was Tucson Bishop Gerald Kicanas.

It took 3 ballots for the bishops to decide. On the first ballot, Kicanas received 104 votes. Dolan received 84. Chaput received 20. On the second ballot, Dolan received 118; Kicanas received 111, Chaput received 4. On the third ballot, Dolan received 128, Kicanas received 111. It’s only the second time in history that a sitting vice-president has not been elected as president.

Said Archbishop Dolan, “No one runs for this office. As bishops, we’re concerned with what’s going on in our own dioceses. No one seeks this office. My brother bishops elected me.”

In the election for vice-president, after numerous ballots, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Ky. won with 147 votes, and Archbishop Charles Chaput getting 91 votes.