Photo: Joseph Kurtz, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky, stands near the Conference Center on Temple Square on Wednesday, May 4, 2016, with Church director of interfaith relations, John Taylor (far right), and Church hosting director Elder Don R. Clarke and his wife, Mary Anne (far left).
The leading U.S. Catholic voice told the Deseret News Wednesday that Latter-day Saints and Catholics "stand together on issues that are good for America."
The Most Rev. Joseph Kurtz, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky, touched on interfaith common ground and other topics Wednesday, May 4, 2016, during his visit to the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City.
A few of those matters of common concern are "the gift of family" and "safeguarding religious freedom," Archbishop Kurtz said.
At the invitation of Latter-day Saint leaders, the archbishop met with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Presidency of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric.
"It was a delight to meet with Archbishop Kurtz and hear his views on family, faith and religious freedom," said Latter-day Saint director of interfaith relations, John Taylor. "Our relationship with Catholic leaders has grown tremendously over the past several years, and this visit only deepened our friendship."
See the Deseret News for more information on the visit.
Archbishop Kurtz' visit is the latest in a series of ongoing meetings and conversations between Latter-day Saint and Catholic leaders. Some of the highlights of those visits include 2009 when the late Cardinal George met with Mormon leaders and spoke at Brigham Young University. In 2014, President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency spoke at a Vatican summit on marriage and met Pope Francis. And more recently, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was invited to speak at the Catholic-sponsored World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, where Archbishop Charles J. Chaput praised the Latter-day Saint focus on family.