At the end of a bitter and contested presidential election, one thing is certain: Our nation is deeply divided. As Catholics, we must take the lead in finding a way forward that helps bring people together while always remaining completely faithful to our beliefs.

In the midst of all this political turmoil, I think of my good friend Andrew Walther, president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, who tragically died on All Saints’ Day from complications of leukemia. 

Religious freedom, the cause of life, and helping persecuted Christians were all dear to Andrew’s heart and became the focus of his professional life. 

He was also deeply committed to the mission of EWTN News. 

Andrew understood the importance of being clear in our faith and bringing it into the public square and U.S. culture. He also had a keen intellect, a brilliant strategic mind, and a great knowledge of history. He cultivated relationships with a broad network of people in various fields. All of this fed his ability to diagnose our deep-seated spiritual crises as a nation and then to offer solutions that invited people of goodwill to participate and embrace a path toward the common good.

The leadership and quiet, faithful perseverance of Andrew will be sorely missed in the coming years as we face new challenges, most notably a likely new administration under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. 

Biden is poised to become the second Catholic president in American history. He frequently campaigned on his Catholicity and promised he would “restore the soul of this nation.”

Yet it is difficult to understand how a politician and a party who promote and protect at all costs the killing of the youngest lives in our country and who threaten to force nuns to violate their deeply held beliefs will be able to bring about healing, reconciliation and unity. Here is where our constant and clear witness to Catholic teaching and moral truth is needed. 

As Catholics we need to commit ourselves anew to making our voices heard in the public square. That means being vigilant in the defense of life and the freedom of religion. That includes finding allies in our cause who can also see the threats to culture, the family and life. 

We need to keep building on the pro-life victories won in this election. And we need to authentically live out our Catholic faith in everything we do. 

My good friend Andrew served as a model for this, and we should emulate his love for the faith, his family, and his country. He understood that we need to do everything we can in the here and now to build the kingdom of God, but ultimately our end is greater. He gave everything he had to build a civilization of life and love based on Catholic faith and morals — and ultimately, he knew the true results would only be seen in eternity. 

In this current moment, let that be a reminder to us to always keep up the good fight and to place our hope and trust in God alone.

God bless you!