The internal politics of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were dominated last year by debate over whether to deny Communion to politicians who backed abortion rights. U.S. Catholic bishops will choose a national president this week in elections that will help shape their public policy agenda and hence their relations with Washington—and the Vatican—over the next three years. The outcome is likely to signal that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is holding its annual fall assembly Nov. 14-17 in Baltimore, will continue to give priority to opposition to abortion over other issues on which it is active, including poverty and migration, rather than take its cues from Pope Francis . The pope has spoken out strongly against abortion yet given greater emphasis to other issues, including social and economic justice and the environment, and he has taken a more conciliatory approach than the USCCB leadership to President Biden, a practicing Catholic who supports abortion rights.

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