Religion and politics mixed for a moment Thursday as the new Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Des Moines was installed. Members of various other denominations were on hand to welcome Bishop Richard Pates, as was Lieutenant Governor Patti Judge. Judge told Pates about Iowa’s rich agriculture history, and told him every four years Iowa is at the center of the political world.

Judge says in Iowa we “give careful attention to the issues and concerns of our day, the political matters that engage and vex our society.” Judge told Pates the state welcomes his voice in “these social and political conversations, so that we as political leaders and religious leaders, with all Iowans together, can seek the common good.” Pates responded to Judge.

Pates says thanked Judge and said he wanted to assure Judge the he will work very closely with her and all the bishops of Iowa “in defense of all human rights, and particularly the right to life.” Judge is a Democrat who says she supports a woman’s right to have an abortion, which goes against the Catholic church’s stance against abortion.