US Catholic bishops elect conservative Paul Coakley as new president

Oklahoma archbishop seen as culture warrior but also likely to endorse push for more human treatment of immigrants

US Catholic bishops elected Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City as their new president on Tuesday, choosing a conservative culture warrior to lead during Donald Trump's second term as president.

The vote acts as a barometer for the bishops' priorities. In choosing Coakley, they are doubling down on their conservative bent, even as they push for more humane immigration policies from the Trump administration.