AMERICAN BISHOPS RECLAIM THE NATION: U.S. TO BE CONSECRATED TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City was elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on November 11th at their fall plenary assembly in Baltimore, winning 128-109 votes over Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, in a runoff on the third ballot. Bishop Flores was subsequently elected vice president on the first ballot from the remaining nine candidates. Both bishops will assume their respective new offices for a three-year term after the adjournment of the plenary assembly.
The selection came as Archbishop Timothy Broglio and Archbishop William Lori prepare to step down from their roles at the expiry of their three-year terms in office. The 2025 elections were notable because they marked the first leadership change at the conference since Pope Leo XIV, the U.S.-born pontiff, began his pontificate in May.
Archbishop Coakley, 70 years old, already held a leadership role in the USCCB, serving as secretary. He was ordained a priest in 1983 for the Diocese of Wichita before being appointed Bishop of Salina in 2004, and later archbishop of Oklahoma City in 2010. He has a history of promoting a culture of life, opposing gender ideology, and supporting migrants.
Bishop Flores, who is 64 years old, holds a doctorate in sacred theology and is a former theology professor. He has been a bishop since 2006. He was one of 12 bishops to serve on the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod on Synodality and is a promoter of synodality in the Church.
In a move both symbolic and deeply spiritual, the bishops voted to consecrate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as part of the country's 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026. The decision was taken by an overwhelming majority, with 215 votes in favor and 8 opposed.
The consecration would take place at the USCCB's spring assembly in June 2026, which concludes on the solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, who presented the action item, said the bishops will develop prayer resources, including a novena, to help Catholics prepare for the consecration.
Bishop Rhoades noted that Pope Pius XI, in his 1925 encyclical instituting the feast of Christ the King, referred to the pious custom of consecrating oneself, families, and even nations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a way to recognize the kingship of Christ. He explained that in his final encyclical, Dilexit Nos, Pope Francis brought devotion to the Sacred Heart to the forefront of Catholic life as the ultimate symbol of both human and divine love, calling it a wellspring of peace and unity.
USCCB staff are assembling resources for dioceses, parishes and other groups to engage Catholics during the 250th anniversary of the July 4, 1776, signing of the Declaration of Independence. In preparation, a diocese might for example invite the faithful to participate in 250 hours of adoration, or 250 works of mercy.
Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski proposed a celebration during the bishops' spring meeting in Orlando, Florida, in June at the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and suggested inviting President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other officials to attend.
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
The American bishops just did something the secular world thought impossible. They consecrated a nation to Christ the King.
While Europe dismantles its Christian heritage brick by brick, America's bishops are building it back. This isn't symbolic pageantry. This is spiritual warfare. This is reclaiming territory.
215 bishops voted yes. Only 8 said no. That tells you everything.
The timing matters. America's 250th birthday. A quarter millennium of ordered liberty under God, now formally offered back to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This is what Christian nationalism actually looks like, not the caricature the media feeds you.
We live in a civilization that has forgotten whose image is stamped on every human soul. The bishops just reminded the nation. Christ is King. His mercy reigns. And America needs both desperately.
This consecration isn't about politics. It's about reality. Either Christ is Lord of all or He's Lord of nothing. The bishops chose all.
Will the nation follow? That's on us.
TAKE ACTION
Prepare for the Consecration: Mark June 12, 2026 on your calendar for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart. Participate in the national consecration through your diocese and parish. Visit www.usccb.org for upcoming prayer resources and novenas.
Promote the Sacred Heart Devotion: Begin or renew daily devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in your home. Teach your children about Christ's kingship over nations and hearts.
Support Your Bishops: Contact your local bishop to express support for this historic consecration. Email your diocese and encourage fellow Catholics to participate fully in the 250th anniversary preparations.
Pray for America's Conversion: Commit to praying daily for the spiritual renewal of the United States. Pray that this consecration bears lasting fruit in the conversion of hearts and the transformation of culture.
DEUS VULT
