BALTIMORE — The U.S. bishops wrapped up the second day of public sessions for their annual fall assembly in Baltimore with a focus on three major issues: migration, the dignity of the human person and care for creation in light of the church's evangelizing mission.
One of the most significant discussions Nov. 13 took place just before the bishops concluded that afternoon, as Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, chair of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration, encouraged his brother bishops and their priests to speak loudly and as one on the issue of migration, especially in light of the recent rhetoric from public figures.
The lay faithful have a "real hunger ... for leadership from their priests and bishops alike on this issue," Bishop Seitz said, citing recent focus groups administered by the USCCB.
"The clergy continues to have a strong moral voice to which the laity listens, and consistent and intentional teaching from church leaders can significantly impact public opinion," he said. "It is thus imperative that we bishops speak in one voice on this issue consistently and intentionally, and proceed in solidarity with our immigrant brothers and sisters, especially given the experience of so many Catholic immigrants in generations gone by."
The bishops also heard a presentation offered by the committees on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, Pro-Life Activities and Catholic Education in relation to implementing the Vatican declaration on human dignity, "Dignitas Infinita," released in April.
Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minn., chair of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, said the committees "agreed on the need to highlight the teachings of the declaration in our respective resources" with "the goal of applying the lessons of 'Dignitas Infinita' to our American society so that the church can more effectively proclaim" that "the person created in the image of God is a being at once corporeal and spiritual and is fulfilled in its vocation to divine beatitude in Jesus Christ."
The bishops also discussed caring for creation ahead of the 10th anniversary of the release of "Laudato Si'," Pope Francis' encyclical on integral ecology. Archbishop Borys A. Gudziak, chair of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, suggested in his presentation that the encyclical could be "integrated into our core mission of evangelization."
The archbishop, who heads the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, said that returning to the practice of abstaining from eating meat on Fridays "would be good for the soul and for the planet," and he added that the practice of fasting "could be an opportunity for synodal engagement," through "exploring ancient practices in the Latin rite, such as Ember Days or Advent fasts, and other rich Eastern Christian practices among Catholics and others."
The day also saw the bishops address mission priorities, especially in light of the recent Synod on Synodality, and other liturgical priorities affecting the celebration of Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours and Marian devotion.
The bishops voted 225-7, with two abstentions, to approve the new "mission directive" for 2025-2028, which commits the committees and staff of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to "prioritize the work of the Conference to help equip bishops, clergy, religious and the laity in evangelizing those who are religiously unaffiliated or disaffiliated from the Church, with special focus on young adults and the youth."
Bishop Barron also presented his committee's proposal to draft a succession document to the bishops' 2005 document on developing lay ecclesial ministry in the U.S., "Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord," citing "the experience of co-responsibility in the church, the evolving nature of parish and diocesan workplaces and above all the call to greater synodality."
The floor discussion saw some bishops voice the importance that the document avoid the twin pitfalls of clericalizing the laity or restricting lay ministry to professionals, and also to take steps to make sure the document did not end up on the shelf, generally unread and unheard of, after so much effort.
Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of Indianapolis, chair of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, updated his fellow bishops Nov. 13 on his committee's plans to implement the ministry of the lay catechist, a ministry set forward by Pope Francis in his May 2021 apostolic letter "Antiquum Ministerium." He said the guide they are developing will be informed by "the call for ongoing missionary conversion from the recent Synod on Synodality."
The Latin Church bishops of the conference voted 220-2, with one abstention, to approve the final draft of "The Order of Crowning an Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary." The text now heads to the Vatican's Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for confirmation.
The Latin bishops also approved Spanish texts for the Liturgy of the Hours, in a 213-1 vote, with nine abstentions, for use in U.S. dioceses. The Liturgy of the Hours is the public prayer of the church that complements the Mass or Divine Liturgy and consists of an ongoing, daily sequence of psalms, Scripture, canticles and reflections intended to sanctify the day.
Latin Church bishops also approved the revised New American Bible for liturgical use in 216-4 vote, with three abstentions.
In a short update on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Bishop Timothy C. Senior of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, chair of the relevant USCCB subcommittee, announced that after a thorough application and approval process to ensure conformity with church teaching, the CCHD Nov. 9 had approved 93 grants totaling "nearly 2.3 million dollars" to be distributed to community and economic development organizations around the United States.
In addition, he said, the subcommittee approved three internal grants for the USCCB for a total of $277,000 in support of the conference's work on educating Catholics on the root causes of poverty and its work combatting racism.
The announcement was made after grant-giving activity for the campaign was put on hold earlier this year when the CCHD ran into financial difficulties, which resulted in the layoffs of several employees after a reorganization of the conference.
Bishop James F. Checcio of Metuchen, New Jersey, the conference's treasurer and chair of the Committee on Budget and Finance, presented the proposed 2025 budget for the conference. While he acknowledged the "high rate of inflation," he said the conference remains in a good financial position, with the 2025 operating budget reduced by $2.4 million from the current operating budget -- and no increase in diocesan assessment to support the conference for the fifth year running.
The bishops voted to approve the budget in a 226-3 vote, with four abstentions.
Outside the hotel where the conference took place on the Baltimore waterfront, Bishop Joseph Strickland, who was removed by the Vatican from governance of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, held a press conference attended by a couple dozen people, some of whom held flags and placards. He accused Pope Francis of making "unambiguous denials of the Catholic faith," called the Synod on Synodality "an abomination constructed not to guard the Deposit of Faith but to dismantle it," and lambasted his fellow bishops as "silent shepherds."
Bishop Strickland's accusations of heresy against Pope Francis appeared to have a similar tenor to those made by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former papal nuncio to the United States, who was excommunicated after being found guilty of schism July 5.
Bishop Strickland did not participate in the bishops' assembly, a conference official confirmed.
Within the hotel, during a lunchtime discussion with reporters regarding the Synod on Synodality, OSV News asked Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore what next steps they had in mind for taking their experience of the synod in Rome to the diocesan and parish level.
Archbishop Lori noted that after meeting with synod participants from all over the world in Rome, he realized that the church in the United States already has long-standing participatory and consultative bodies in place. He said synodality is mainly "about culture change, not necessarily structure change or not necessarily canonical changes or any other kind of changes, but first and foremost the change in how we relate one to another in the body of Christ."
Bishop Flores said that, while the church in the U.S. has developed many consultative bodies since the Second Vatican Council, "without humility, the structure won't really help us."
He said the U.S. is in a "post-village world" where the village is a "small community." In light of this, "there are places in the world we can learn from" and "places in this country that are perhaps poorer, have less resources," but "can teach us a lot about the basic way we talk to each other and listen to each other and I think in this country."
"We need to hear the Holy Father when he says we really do have something to learn from the poor," he concluded.
The bishops' fall assembly began Nov. 11, concluding with an executive session closed to the public Nov. 14.
— Peter Jesserer Smith, OSV News
USCCB President: Living the virtues, listening and dialogue are vital to church, society
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USCCB President: Living the virtues, listening and dialogue are vital to church, society
BALTIMORE —The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrapped up its fall plenary assembly's final public session Nov. 13, in which the bishops discussed topics ranging from the recent election, to synodality, to care for the environment, to life issues, including abortion and immigration. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, the conference's president and head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, sat down with OSV News that morning, ahead of the public session, to discuss some of these topics and more.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
OSV News: In your opening address, you mentioned that now is the time for working together, leaning on the virtues as "good teachers." In what ways do you think Catholics can be bolder and more effective at instilling authentic values and virtues into our fractured society?
Archbishop Broglio: Well, I think, always, the first thing is by living them ourselves. That's always the most effective catalyst for change for any sort of virtue in society. And then, secondly, you know, we have to be active in presenting Christian and human virtues as a way forward. I think so often society seems to present itself as some sort of an ironclad structure in which you can only move as far as you're allowed. And that's certainly not the example that the saints give us. We're talking here on the feast of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, who was incredible -- this 4-foot-3 Italian who really responded to concrete needs and situations in a historic situation. But I think that same kind of spunk, not being afraid of who we are, is valuable today as well.
OSV News: In the last few years, you've had fraternal dialogues in the conference and increased opportunities for executive sessions. In your opinion, how do those additions to the way that the plenaries operate shape discourse both privately and publicly?
Archbishop Broglio: I think a couple of things. Both executive sessions of the fraternal dialogues -- fraternal dialogues being particularly appropriate because it's a much smaller group, which obviously makes interaction much easier, same would be true for the regional meetings -- they give an opportunity for a discourse that's free. And I think that's a good thing.
I think they also allow us to brainstorm more than we would in a public setting, because in a public setting sometimes you have people say, 'Well, you know, you suggested this and then it didn't happen,' or something like that. I think that helps. Things are, then, more subtle when we come to the public sessions. I think that makes them much more harmonious.
I would also point out that we are one of the few episcopal conferences in the world that actually have public sessions. Most people don't know that. I was talking to the French bishops at the synod (in Rome in October), and their mouths dropped when I said that our sessions are public. You know, they couldn't believe it. I don't think they could imagine that. I served in four different countries and none of them had public sessions either. If you have an opening session, that would be public and very formal, and then the real work would happen behind closed doors. We're not changing that, but I think it's something to keep in mind -- that there is a possibility to work where there's a free exchange without worrying about how that's perceived.
OSV News: After the June meeting, we saw some leaks come out of the executive session. How does the conference find a balance between allowing bishops this space to dialogue and facilitate communion within the body, but at the same time ensure that these private discussions are free from manipulation and the public arena through such leaks?
Archbishop Broglio: I think there, you know, you depend on the word of successors of the apostles and gentlemen, that the confidences will be respected. We don't do what would happen in the military setting if you were at a conference, which is ... you have to leave your cell phone at the door.
We're not going to go to those extremes. But I think we do depend on the commitment of the bishops who agree to what executive session entails.
OSV News: When that's violated, how do you think that that affects the body of bishops?
Archbishop Broglio: I think it makes people wonder if they can speak freely in executive session. That would be my fear.
OSV News: Donald Trump has been elected to a second term. How do you think the bishops plan to work with this new administration, and what do you see as most important to communicate right now to the president-elect and the team he's building?
Archbishop Broglio: I think, first and foremost, we have to communicate our willingness to work for the common good. And, you know, we are not aligned with any party. We are basically a body of believers who follow Jesus Christ and seek his truth and try to proclaim his truth to the whole world. So, I think, fundamental in our concerns is always the dignity of the human person. And I think that would certainly be the first thing that I would talk about, if I had an opportunity to speak with the president-elect.
And that, you know, really covers most things. It covers the right to life. It covers natural death. It covers the situation of the immigrant. It covers our concern for the poor. It covers our desire to facilitate education. It covers our concern for getting religious workers into this country who can help us. It covers also our desire for peace. It would even cover our concern for our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land and in Ukraine and everywhere else. I think that's the fundamental principle.
And I would be the first to admit that there are different ways to respond to that fundamental principle; but that it has to be uppermost in people's minds, I think that's something we as a body would insist on. And I think that's always the hope, with any incoming administration, is that we can be valid interlocutors, and that we can hope to work together. And, of course, that also means that there will be times when we have to be critical.
But I hope we would always do that in a respectful way and in a constructive way. When I was a Vatican diplomat, I used to tell groups that the important thing is to find a way to get the message through. And I love the example of the prophet Nathan, when he has to go tell the king (David) that he's a murderer and an adulterer. But he finds a way. He finds a way that he doesn't get his head cut off, you know?
OSV News: JD Vance, the vice president-elect, is not shy about his Catholic faith. What do you think are the opportunities and challenges that might be presented with a Catholic vice president who has sometimes voiced differing opinions from what the church teaches?
Archbishop Broglio: Well, we just had the experience, obviously, with a self-identified Catholic president who was not very helpful on the issues that are important to us. The church tries to announce truth. And from the time of Jesus Christ, we've had political figures ask what truth is. So I think we have to continue to try and define that.
Again, that doesn't change the fact that an individual might have his or her own views of certain situations or certain things. But that cannot prevent us from, if we are faithful to the Gospel and to preaching the Gospel, you know, (finding) some way to talk to the new vice president directly about why we believe what we believe. I'm sure any one of us would be happy to do that.
OSV News: You spent this October and last October in Rome as a delegate at the Synod on Synodality. What do you think the U.S. church has to learn from the synod? And what help do you think it can offer to the universal church to work toward a synodal path?
Archbishop Broglio: I think one of the things we definitely have to learn is to listen, to listen to each other. I think of the nuncio's analogy, from Heidegger, of the heart, that's priceless because I think sometimes in the way our society is now, too, you know, everyone listens to people they want to listen to and doesn't listen to people that don't agree with them. And so I think we have to teach this ability to listen.
One of the things we can teach the rest of the world is that consultative bodies and organizations do work. That was something that struck me, that in a lot of places, things like parish councils and finance councils just don't exist. So, I think we can show people that they do exist. And they're actually a help.
— Michael R. Heinlein, OSV News
Bishops hear update on plans to implement ministry of lay catechist set forth by pope
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Bishops hear update on plans to implement ministry of lay catechist set forth by pope
BALTIMORE — Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of Indianapolis, chair of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, updated his fellow bishops Nov. 13 on his committee's plans to implement the ministry of the lay catechist, a ministry set forward by Pope Francis in his May 2021 apostolic letter "Antiquum Ministerium."
Archbishop Thompson spoke to the bishops on the second daylong public session of the bishops' Nov. 11-14 fall plenary assembly.
In his apostolic letter, Pope Francis wrote that "the reception of a lay ministry such as that of Catechist will emphasize even more the missionary commitment proper to every baptized person, a commitment that must however be carried out in a fully 'secular' manner, avoiding any form of clericalization."
He emphasized that the work of catechesis by the laity -- which has historical roots in the early church -- is "all the more urgently needed today as a result of our increasing awareness of the need for evangelization in the contemporary world (cf. Apostolic Exhortation 'Evangelii Gaudium,' 163-168), and the rise of a globalized culture (cf. Encyclical Letter 'Fratelli Tutti,' 100, 138)."
Following the bishops' approval to draft a document on the lay catechist during their June meeting, Archbishop Thompson said the committee received a "letter from brother bishops and from the Holy See, which has indicated a preference for our conference to present a national directory on all three instituted ministries: catechist, lector and acolyte at one time."
In light of that development, the committee decided to rework its current document into a "guide for the formation of those who lead others in evangelizing catechesis" in collaboration with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Doctrine and Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.
The bishops had initially approved the creation of a National Directory for Instituted Ministries at their June meeting. In advancing that proposal for the creation of the directory, the USCCB's president, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, pointed to Pope Francis' decision to permit women to be instituted acolytes and lectors, as well as his establishment of the office of catechist as an instituted lay ministry. He saw the creation of the directory as a needed step to help address the theological understanding of these vocations, the formation needed, age requirements, the duration of the ministry, their role in a parish and diocese, and other considerations.
As his committee prepares its guide for the formation of leaders in evangelizing catechesis, Archbishop Thompson said the work will be informed by "the call for ongoing missionary conversion from the recent Synod on Synodality."
He quoted the words of Pope Francis in his 2013 apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium": "We have rediscovered the fundamental role of the first announcement or kerygma, which needs to be the center of all evangelizing activity and all efforts at Church renewal. ... On the lips of the catechist the first proclamation must ring out over and over: 'Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you.'"
Based on this vision of catechesis, his committee has crafted a definition for evangelizing catechesis as one that "seeks to deepen a personal encounter with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit" and "proclaims the core message of the Gospel of the kerygma."
He said the committee's document will "provide an explanation of how evangelizing catechesis addresses the catechetical needs of our day" and will also offer recommendations to the bishops for the identification and formation of "master evangelizing catechists" in their dioceses.
Prior to Archbishop Thompson's remarks, Archbishop Broglio announced that Auxiliary Bishop Michael G. Woost of Cleveland will be the new chair of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis' Task Force on Instituted Ministries, which is in the process of developing the National Directory for the Instituted Ministries of Lector, Acolyte and Catechist.
Earlier in the day, the bishops also approved a proposal from the bishops' Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth that it draft a succession document to "Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord," a 2005 resource for diocesan bishops and others responsible for the development of lay ecclesial ministry in the United States.
In his remarks on the need for this document, Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, the committee chair, stated that "the rationale for a succession document is the significant changes over the past 20 years, including the experience of co-responsibility in the church, the evolving nature of parish and diocesan workplaces and above all the call to greater synodality."
The committee is planning to craft the document after "an extensive, national synodal consultation with parish, diocesan and parochial leaders, Catholic organizations, institutes of formation, theological experts on lay ministry and the bishops themselves."
In response to a question from Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston about how that proposal might work with the implementation of the ministry of lay catechist, Bishop Barron replied that he didn't know at this point in the process, but agreed that "there is an overlap," and said it will likely fall to "part of the consultation process to see how we fit together."
The bishops approved the committee's plan to draft the succession document with a vote of 223 in favor, nine opposed and six abstaining.
— Lauretta Brown, OSV News
Bishops hear update on plans to implement ministry of lay catechist set forth by pope
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Bishops hear update on plans to implement ministry of lay catechist set forth by pope
BALTIMORE — Archbishop Charles C. Thompson of Indianapolis, chair of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, updated his fellow bishops Nov. 13 on his committee's plans to implement the ministry of the lay catechist, a ministry set forward by Pope Francis in his May 2021 apostolic letter "Antiquum Ministerium."
Archbishop Thompson spoke to the bishops on the second daylong public session of the bishops' Nov. 11-14 fall plenary assembly.
In his apostolic letter, Pope Francis wrote that "the reception of a lay ministry such as that of Catechist will emphasize even more the missionary commitment proper to every baptized person, a commitment that must however be carried out in a fully 'secular' manner, avoiding any form of clericalization."
He emphasized that the work of catechesis by the laity -- which has historical roots in the early church -- is "all the more urgently needed today as a result of our increasing awareness of the need for evangelization in the contemporary world (cf. Apostolic Exhortation 'Evangelii Gaudium,' 163-168), and the rise of a globalized culture (cf. Encyclical Letter 'Fratelli Tutti,' 100, 138)."
Following the bishops' approval to draft a document on the lay catechist during their June meeting, Archbishop Thompson said the committee received a "letter from brother bishops and from the Holy See, which has indicated a preference for our conference to present a national directory on all three instituted ministries: catechist, lector and acolyte at one time."
In light of that development, the committee decided to rework its current document into a "guide for the formation of those who lead others in evangelizing catechesis" in collaboration with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Doctrine and Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance.
The bishops had initially approved the creation of a National Directory for Instituted Ministries at their June meeting. In advancing that proposal for the creation of the directory, the USCCB's president, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, pointed to Pope Francis' decision to permit women to be instituted acolytes and lectors, as well as his establishment of the office of catechist as an instituted lay ministry. He saw the creation of the directory as a needed step to help address the theological understanding of these vocations, the formation needed, age requirements, the duration of the ministry, their role in a parish and diocese, and other considerations.
As his committee prepares its guide for the formation of leaders in evangelizing catechesis, Archbishop Thompson said the work will be informed by "the call for ongoing missionary conversion from the recent Synod on Synodality."
He quoted the words of Pope Francis in his 2013 apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium": "We have rediscovered the fundamental role of the first announcement or kerygma, which needs to be the center of all evangelizing activity and all efforts at Church renewal. ... On the lips of the catechist the first proclamation must ring out over and over: 'Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and now he is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you.'"
Based on this vision of catechesis, his committee has crafted a definition for evangelizing catechesis as one that "seeks to deepen a personal encounter with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit" and "proclaims the core message of the Gospel of the kerygma."
He said the committee's document will "provide an explanation of how evangelizing catechesis addresses the catechetical needs of our day" and will also offer recommendations to the bishops for the identification and formation of "master evangelizing catechists" in their dioceses.
Prior to Archbishop Thompson's remarks, Archbishop Broglio announced that Auxiliary Bishop Michael G. Woost of Cleveland will be the new chair of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis' Task Force on Instituted Ministries, which is in the process of developing the National Directory for the Instituted Ministries of Lector, Acolyte and Catechist.
Earlier in the day, the bishops also approved a proposal from the bishops' Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth that it draft a succession document to "Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord," a 2005 resource for diocesan bishops and others responsible for the development of lay ecclesial ministry in the United States.
In his remarks on the need for this document, Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, the committee chair, stated that "the rationale for a succession document is the significant changes over the past 20 years, including the experience of co-responsibility in the church, the evolving nature of parish and diocesan workplaces and above all the call to greater synodality."
The committee is planning to craft the document after "an extensive, national synodal consultation with parish, diocesan and parochial leaders, Catholic organizations, institutes of formation, theological experts on lay ministry and the bishops themselves."
In response to a question from Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston about how that proposal might work with the implementation of the ministry of lay catechist, Bishop Barron replied that he didn't know at this point in the process, but agreed that "there is an overlap," and said it will likely fall to "part of the consultation process to see how we fit together."
The bishops approved the committee's plan to draft the succession document with a vote of 223 in favor, nine opposed and six abstaining.
— Lauretta Brown, OSV News
US bishops' assembly focuses on the heart of Jesus after church events, election year
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US bishops' assembly focuses on the heart of Jesus after church events, election year
BALTIMORE — On the first day of the public session of the U.S. bishops' annual fall meeting in Baltimore, the importance of the church's mission in light of the just-concluded Synod on Synodality, the National Eucharistic Congress, and the recently concluded U.S. election loomed large in the first day of public discussion.
Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., shared with the bishops that Pope Francis' new encyclical "Dilexit Nos" is a call to "return to the heart" of Jesus to understand the synod, National Eucharistic Revival and the upcoming Jubilee 2025 in Rome "as disciples and as bishops."
"The deeper we go into his heart, the more strengthened we will be to proclaim the Good News together," he said.
"Eucharistic Revival, a more synodal form of evangelization, a Jubilee Year of Hope: All of these experiences will produce fruit, provided that we return to the heart of Christ, that sacred place where human longing and divine love are united," he said. "It is there, in the heart of Christ, where we rediscover in a personal way the 'kerygma' that we preach: Christ has become one of us, he has suffered and died to heal our wounds, he has risen, and he is alive with us now in the Spirit."
The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services opened his address meditating upon the witness of the faithful Jewish people recounted in the books of Maccabees.
He observed that the U.S. church has many existing consultative structures for a synodal church, while acknowledging it has more work to do. With respect to the three-year National Eucharistic Revival, he noted it "continues now in its phase of mission" to "help the faithful discover or deepen its meaning, and to prolong the positive effects of the first two years."
Reflecting on the U.S. presidential election, he emphasized that the bishops "never backpedal or renounce the clear teaching of the Gospel" but "proclaim it in and out of season," and that Christians generally speaking must be "catalysts for a more humane and worthy approach to daily life."
"We must insist on the dignity of the human person from womb to tomb," he said, emphasizing the church's commitments include seeing Christ in people in need, defending the poor, fighting the evil of racism, and caring for migrants while calling for immigration reform.
"We certainly do not encourage illegal immigration, but we will all have to stand before the throne of grace and hear the Lord ask us if we saw him in the hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, stranger, or sick and responded to his needs," he said.
During the meeting, the U.S. bishops held an extensive open discussion on the Synod on Synodality, which recently concluded in Rome after a month-long session in October, before they resolved in a voice vote to ask their Committee on Priorities and Plans to discern developing a task force to help the conference and dioceses implement the final synod document.
Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori shared his experience as a delegate, saying it was both "enlightening" and "challenging" to go through the synod with delegates from around the world for those weeks. He emphasized that trust was at the heart of the synod experience, and that synodality aimed to overcome polarization afflicting the church "by seeking consensus in the Holy Spirit" through conversation and prayer.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, has led the USCCB's involvement in the synod process, also briefed the bishops on the synod's October meeting. He explained that much theological work still needed to be done alongside efforts to develop a synodal culture at the parish level, where most Catholics experience the church.
"If it doesn't reach the parishes, it hardly reaches the people of God," he said.
Several bishops recommended from the floor that Bishop Flores be empowered to lead the task force.
The U.S. bishops heard an update on the National Eucharistic Revival, which included a 2-minute video that dramatically recapped the National Eucharistic Congress.
Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, and board chair of the National Eucharistic Congress Inc., told the bishops that participants provided overwhelmingly positive feedback about the congress and preceding four-route National Eucharistic Pilgrimage. He noted that more than 200,000 people joined the pilgrimage; 65,000 joined the congress's procession in Indianapolis; and over 50,000 from every U.S. state and 23 countries joined the congress itself, with hundreds of thousands participating digitally.
"You called for it," he said. "Your support, your presence, your engagement made this powerful and the people felt it."
Bishop Cozzens said the NEC hopes to sponsor a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage from Indianapolis to Los Angeles next year and to also "assist regions and dioceses in forming their own congresses and to provide resources for formation."
"The primary work of the NEC in the years ahead will be to support dioceses as they desire to continue the movement of Eucharistic renewal in our church, which we all know is a generational movement, especially helping to form and send Eucharistic missionaries," he said.
Bishop Stepan Sus of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, head of its pastoral and migration department, gave a presentation on the situation faced by Ukrainians as Russia's war on Ukraine nears 1,000 days.
"Considering the world's political changes, we hear different predictions about the possible end of the war in Ukraine," he said. "It should be clear that every Russian occupation leads to the elimination of our church as part of the community. All our churches in the occupied territories were closed, destroyed. Priests were imprisoned or expelled from their territories."
He thanked the U.S. church for its solidarity with Ukraine, noting Catholic Relief Services, the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Near East Welfare Association and various Catholic Charities. He asked for their continued support as Ukrainians seek a "just peace that will forever turn over the tragic page of the war that took thousands of innocent lives."
"As a church we cannot change all realities of the world," he said. "But we can be next to those people who suffer and wipe their tears."
After his address, the bishops gave Bishop Sus the day's only standing ovation.
The bishops also heard a video presentation on the 2023 National Black Catholic Congress, which highlighted the church's affirmation of the importance of Black Catholics and the gifts they bring to the wider church.
"We have a long legacy of faithfulness to our church, and I thank you for all you've done to keep that fire burning," Auxiliary Bishop Roy E. Campbell of Washington, president of the National Black Catholic Congress, told the bishops.
Bishop Campbell asked the bishops as fellow "missionary disciples" to do three things: encourage Black young people to consider a vocation to the priesthood or religious and consecrated life; promote Black American Catholics with open causes for canonization known collectively as the "Holy Six" -- Venerable Mother Mary Lange; Venerable Father Augustus Tolton; Venerable Mother Henriette DeLille; Venerable Pierre Toussaint; Servant of God Julia Greeley; and Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman; and to make use of the NBCC's resources to develop a pastoral plan for Black Catholics in their individual dioceses.
He said the congress's pastoral action plan "Write the Vision: A Prophetic Call to Thrive" is for Black Catholics "a means to use their God-given gifts for the church, the body of Christ, for our brothers and our sisters."
The bishops also showed support for local advancement of the sainthood causes of two women born in the 20th century: Benedictine Sister Annella Zervas of Moorhead, Minnesota, and Gertrude Agnes Barber, a laywoman from Erie, Pennsylvania.The bishops also selected some of their number to fill several leadership positions. Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis was voted in as treasurer-elect of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, along with several new committee chairs. Bishop Michael G. Woost of Cleveland was elected chairman-elect for the Committee on Divine Worship; Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, Kentucky, was elected chairman-elect of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; and Bishop Edward J. Burns was elected as head of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth; Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria, Texas, was elected chairman-elect of the Committee on Migration. The prelates assume their positions at the conclusion of the bishops' 2025 fall assembly.
The bishops also confirmed two bishops to the board of directors of Catholic Relief Services, the international relief agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S.: Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison, Wisconsin, and Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala of Washington.
Under review by the bishops is a new "mission directive" -- a new way that the conference is considering presenting its strategic vision for the next three years. The mission, which is still in draft form and accepting amendment suggestions, reads: "Responding even more deeply to the call to proclaim the Gospel and form Missionary Disciples, the Committees and Staff of the USCCB will prioritize the work of the Conference to help equip bishops, clergy, religious and the laity in evangelizing those who are religiously unaffiliated or disaffiliated from the Church, with special focus on young adults and the youth."
The purpose of the directive, said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, who chairs the conference's Committee on Priorities and Plans, is to guide the work of USCCB committees and staff rather than replace the work of each committee.
General support was offered from the floor, with request from Auxiliary Bishop James Massa of Brooklyn, New York, to add a reference to Jesus Christ, and a request from Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, just-retired archbishop of Boston, to stress within the directive safeguarding the role and concerns of women, and the fight against racism and bigotry.
The bishops' second day of public sessions continues Nov. 13.
— Peter Jesserer Smith, OSV News
Nuncio, USCCB president reflect on Eucharistic congress, synodality, duty to proclaim Gospel
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Nuncio, USCCB president reflect on Eucharistic congress, synodality, duty to proclaim Gospel
BALTIMORE — The public session of the fall plenary assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops opened Nov. 12 with remarks from Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, USCCB president, and Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio to the U.S.
In an address of a little less than 20 minutes, Cardinal Pierre spoke to the U.S. bishops about July's National Eucharistic Congress, the Synod on Synodality, which wrapped up at the end of October, and the upcoming Jubilee 2025 in Rome -- all through the lens of Pope Francis' new encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, "Dilexit Nos."
"At the very time when the universal synod was coming to its completion, and with a Jubilee Year about to begin, the pope has somewhat 'surprised' us by returning to a very basic element in the church's piety, something that might even seem too 'simple': devotion to the heart of Jesus," he said. "Isn't it interesting that, of all things, the pope would give us, precisely at this moment, an encyclical on the Sacred Heart? I think this is something worth paying attention to. What meaning are we to derive from this call to return to the heart?"
The National Eucharistic Congress was "a religious experience of the saving love of Jesus" -- "an experience that is not an end, but a beginning. When we encounter Christ's love in this way, we are compelled to share it with others. And this is what we are the shepherds of at this time in our country."
"We must help the church find the answers to the questions that were being asked at the conclusion of the Eucharistic congress: How do we move from personal encounter to mission? Where are the new directions that the Spirit is leading us in our evangelization? What new avenues do we need to open in the life of the church?" he asked. "After all, a broad Eucharistic revival can only occur if we are able to live the Eucharist in all its dimensions: not only by gathering to adore, but also by going out on mission, so that Christ can encounter others."
Cardinal Pierre acknowledged that "several years into our synodal journey as a church, some are still asking, 'What is synodality?'" He suggested that the "language of devotion to the Sacred Heart" can help people better understand the term.
"The synodal church is a gathering of people who have come into relationship with the heart of Christ, and who are journeying together in order to share that relationship with others."
Saying that the synod was never about "completing a to-do list" or "certain outcomes," he said instead it is "about inviting more participation in the church's missionary discernment; while at the same time, deepening our shared participation with the Lord."
Because of this, the success of the synod should not be judged by what decisions were made, but by "the way in which conversations are happening at various levels in the church."
"For those who feel disappointed about the church's synodal process to this point -- either for what it has been or for what it hasn't been -- I would share the encouragement that I think Pope Francis is offering us through this encyclical," he said. "Essentially the pope is saying to us: Look deeper for what synodality is about. Look to the heart: your own heart, the heart of Christ, and the heart of the other person. From there, we can embark on a shared mission as church."
Finally, the cardinal addressed the Jubilee Year in Rome, saying that it is "exactly what our world and our country need right now, but which no secular power or political solution could ever achieve."
"We can all see the fragmentation in the human community, especially during these seasons of heightened political activity. And if we look within, we can see the fragmentation in ourselves," he said, adding that Pope Francis explains in his encyclical "how the human heart is capable of 'uniting the fragments.'"
Following Cardinal Pierre's remarks, Archbishop Broglio began his presidential address with a reference to the Book of Maccabees, recalling "the fidelity of the chosen people in a time of oppression, forced assimilation and rule by a foreign power." This fidelity, he said, was "sufficient to ensure a temporary victory over the oppressors, but more importantly the preservation and handing on of the Jewish faith to the next generations right up to our time."
Praising the "moment of unity and celebration" of Christ's real presence at the Eucharistic congress, he noted that the revival "continues now in its phase of mission" to "help the faithful discover or deepen its meaning, and to prolong the positive effects of the first two years of the Eucharistic revival."
Following the U.S. presidential election, he reflected on the way in which bishops can serve as examples and speak the truth amid division in society.
"As the successors of the Apostles and vicars of Christ in our dioceses, we never backpedal or renounce the clear teaching of the Gospel," he said. "We proclaim it in and out of season."
"We must insist on the dignity of the human person from womb to tomb, be unstinting in our commitment, as I said yesterday, to see Christ in those who are most in need, to defend and lift up the poor, to combat the evil of racism and to encourage immigration reform, while we continue to care for those in need who cross our borders," he continued. "We certainly do not encourage illegal immigration, but we will all have to stand before the throne of grace and hear the Lord ask us if we saw him in the hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, stranger, or sick and responded to his needs."
He added that there is a need to "encourage people to work together, to listen to each other, and in disagreement never to forget that the other is created in the image and likeness of God and is, therefore, worthy of respect."
"Christians should be catalysts for a more humane and worthy approach to daily life," he emphasized. "Nothing is truly ordinary, because it is open to be touched by divine grace."
— Lauretta Brown, Gretchen R. Crowe, OSV News
The bishops were gathering in Baltimore Nov. 11-14 for their 2024 fall plenary assembly. Only two days of the meeting, Nov. 12-13, will be public and livestreamed on the conference's website.
US bishops elect Archbishop Hebda as treasurer-elect, five new committee chairs
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US bishops elect Archbishop Hebda as treasurer-elect, five new committee chairs
BALTIMORE — Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis was elected treasurer of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Nov. 12, bringing valuable experience from his own archdiocese to the conference post.
The bishops chose Archbishop Hebda over Bishop David J. Malloy of Rockford, Illinois, in a 156-84 vote on the morning of the first public session of the U.S. bishops' fall assembly held in Baltimore Nov. 11-14. He will serve as treasurer-elect for the next year before taking office officially at the end of the bishops' November meeting in 2025.
The Harvard-educated Archbishop Hebda has been at the helm of the Twin Cities archdiocese since 2015, where he has led an effort to restructure and realign resources following the resignation of Archbishop John C. Nienstedt in 2015 for mismanaging clergy sexual abuse cases. He was first named apostolic administrator in 2015 and then led the archdiocese as its archbishop the year after.
In addition to serving as bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan, from 2009-2013, Archbishop Hebda was coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, from 2013-2016, where he lived in a dorm at Seton Hall University.
Archbishop Hebda has a law degree from the Columbia University School of Law and a canon law degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Prior to being ordained a bishop, he worked for 13 years in the Vatican at the Pontifical Council (now Dicastery) for Legislative Texts, which interprets the church’s law, and served for six years as the council's undersecretary.
Archbishop Hebda will take over the conference's treasurer post from Bishop James F. Checchio, who began his term in November 2022 and will conclude in November 2025.
The USCCB treasurer is responsible for managing the funds of the conference, for "sound fiscal administration," and also serves as vice chair of the Committee on Priorities and Plans.
This significant committee is made up of 15 bishops from every episcopal region in the U.S. and is responsible for identifying bishops willing to go on the ballot for chairmanship of various USCCB committees among other tasks.
The bishops also elected that morning new chairmen for several committees, each of whom will serve for a year as a chairman-elect before assuming the role fully at the end of next November's general assembly.
-- Committee on Divine Worship: Auxiliary Bishop Michael G. Woost of Cleveland, was elected over Archbishop Alexander K. Sample of Portland, Oregon, by a 128-112 vote.
-- Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations: Bishop Ronald A. Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, was elected over Auxiliary Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt of Hartford, Connecticut, in a 146-94 vote.
-- Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development: Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, Kentucky, was elected over Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of Paterson, New Jersey, in a 158-81 vote.
-- Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth: Bishop Edward J. Burns of Dallas was elected over Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, in a 147-91 vote.
-- Committee on Migration: Bishop Brendan J. Cahill of Victoria, Texas, was elected over Bishop Joseph J. Tyson of Yakima, Washington, in a 155-85 vote.
Finally, two bishops were confirmed overwhelmingly to serve on the board of directors of Catholic Relief Services, the international relief and development agency of the Catholic Church in the U.S.: Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison, Wisconsin, was confirmed to serve his second term, and Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala of Washington, was confirmed to serve his first.
— OSV News
Sainthood causes for Benedictine sister and disabilities education advocate get US bishops' approval
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Sainthood causes for Benedictine sister and disabilities education advocate get US bishops' approval
Bishop Edward M. Lohse of Kalamazoo, Mich., speaks speaks about the cause of beautification and canonization of Gertrude Agnes Barber during a Nov. 12, 2024, session of the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore. She was a Pennsylvania educator committed to serving children and adults with learning disabilities. Also pictured are Father Michael J.K. Fuller, USCCB general secretary; Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, USCCB president; Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, USCCB vice president; and Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Ill. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller) BALTIMORE — In 1918, when Benedictines in Minnesota gave Anna Cordelia Zervas her religious name, Sister Mary Annella, her mother reacted with surprise."But there is no St. Annella," she is reported to have said. Her daughter replied: "Then I shall have to be the first one!"
Sister Annella's response may prove truer than she could have possibly known, as a cause for her canonization was presented to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Nov. 12. A separate cause for Gertrude Agnes Barber, a Pennsylvania educator committed to serving children and adults with learning disabilities, was also brought forward for the bishops' consultation.
During their fall plenary assembly in Baltimore, the U.S. bishops voted 206 to 7, with 11 abstentions, to support the local advancement of Sister Annella's cause, and 205 to 6, with 19 abstentions, to support the same for Barber's cause.
Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, Sister Annella's home diocese, introduced Sister Annella's cause, while Bishop Edward M. Lohse of Kalamazoo, Michigan, introduced Barber's cause on behalf of Bishop Lawrence T. Persico of Erie, Pennsylvania.
The two women died 74 years apart -- Sister Annella in 1926 after suffering horribly from a rare skin condition, and Barber in 2000, after becoming a national leader and advocate in her field. Postulators for both causes are currently gathering information locally about the two women with plans to prepare a "positio" for the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican.
In the Diocese of Crookston, where Sister Annella's cause for canonization is being investigated, sources are primarily historical, whereas for Barber's cause in the Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania, people who knew her in life are contributing their memories.
Sister Annella was born in 1900 in Moorhead, Minnesota, a growing town along the North Dakota border. She was a devout child, and, according to a biography, "demonstrated a spiritual maturity that set her apart from her peers." In 1915, a teenaged Zervas gained her pastor's approval and encouragement to enter the Benedictine convent in St. Joseph, Minnesota. She entered as a postulant that year, and four years later she professed her first vows. After her final vows in 1922, she was assigned to teach music and serve as an organist in Bismarck, North Dakota.
A short time later, itchy and swelling skin and hair loss -- to the point where her visiting parents did not recognize her -- led her to seek medical treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The disease progressed, and her parents brought her home to Moorhead in the fall of 1924.
"Despite her severe physical suffering, which included violent chills, high temperatures, and painful attacks of itching, scratching, and weeping, her mental faculties always remained intact," according to a biography. "The pus-like discharge from the skin disease had a sharp, biting, and decayed odor. Her frail body exfoliated between a pint and a quart a day of skin. At one point, she existed on almost no food."
Despite her suffering, Sister Annella remained cheerful, and amid fits of pain, she prayed. "Yes, Lord, send me more pain, but give me strength to bear it," she reportedly said. She only asked for God's will to be done. She died on the vigil of the Assumption, Aug. 14, 1926. After a funeral Mass in Moorhead, her remains were buried 160 miles southeast at St. Benedict's Monastery in St. Joseph.
Shortly after her death, reports of cures attributed to Sister Annella's intercession began to circulate, and local devotion to her persisted for decades. However, it took one man's mysterious encounter and dogged determination to revive contemporary interest in the holy woman.
Patrick Norton, a devout Catholic and paint contractor in central Minnesota, was working on a replica of the Lourdes' grotto in the cemetery of St. Joseph's Monastery on Oct. 7, 2010 -- the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary -- when he said a sister in full habit approached and began a conversation. After talking a short time, she said goodbye and "disappeared," he recalled. She never told him his name, but he was struck by her large blue eyes. He later recognized the sister as Sister Annella, and he made it his mission to spread her story.
Sister Annella's suffering "reminds me of the passion of our Lord," said Norton, 62, who was cared for as an orphaned infant by Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity in then-Bombay, India, before being adopted as a teen into a Connecticut family. After trying to gain traction for Sister Annella's cause for years, he believes "God opened every door" to make it possible to move forward at this time.
In October 2023, Bishop Cozzens announced to a group of Catholics devoted to the nun that he was beginning an inquiry into her life that could lead to a cause for Sister Annella's canonization. The effort is led by canon lawyers Amanda Zurface, the cause's postulator, and Msgr. David Baumgartner, president of the newly formed Sister Annella Guild. The guild is charged with advancing Sister Annella's cause.
More consultation is needed before Bishop Cozzens officially opens a cause, Zurface told OSV News. However, Sister Annella's "life was a testament to heroic virtue, and it offers us a profound witness of how suffering can be transformed into an offering of love for Christ and his church," Msgr. Baumgartner said.
Speaking to the bishops Nov. 12, Bishop Cozzens called Sister Annella an "apostle of suffering for our day."
"Many people have expressed that her witness to the value of suffering has helped them embrace their own suffering with faith in God's goodness," he said. "Sister Annella is a true teacher of our Catholic faith, witnessing that each person, regardless of their struggle, has great dignity and is created for intimacy with God. And she teaches us that God is our truest friend, and our vocations are good even when they take a different path than we might expect."
While those who knew Sister Annella in life have since died, memories of Gertrude Barber are still fresh for those with whom she worked and cared. Born 11 years after Sister Annella in Erie, Pennsylvania, Barber grew up in a large Catholic family, attended Penn State University and began a teaching career in the Erie School District in 1931. She eventually became a school psychologist, where her job included turning students away from the school because of their intellectual disabilities.
"She was deeply affected as she saw parents face the agony of either keeping their children at home without access to an education or sending them away to a distant institution where they would be segregated from the world," states a short biography circulated by leaders of her canonization cause. "Dr. Barber was determined to find another way."
Her deep faith and view of all as children of God led Barber to begin a decades-long crusade to educate children with special needs. In 1952, she opened a classroom in Erie for students with intellectual disabilities, which expanded to meet the needs of other students with special needs as well as adults. She founded the Dr. Gertrude A. Barber Center, which included services for people with intellectual disabilities at every life stage, and her work received significant educational, civic and religious recognition. In 1990, at age 78, she traveled to Washington to witness the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Barber's cause officially opened in 2019, and she is now titled a "servant of God." "So many people have been inspired by her, and that's what's motivated all of this -- you look at the life of somebody like Gertrude, who followed Christ so closely in her mission," Msgr. Tom McSweeney, a priest of the Diocese of Erie and the cause's postulator, told OSV News.
As the executive vice president of what is now named the Barber National Institute, Maureen Barber-Carey carries on her aunt's legacy. She recalls Barber's work as driven by her deep faith. She noted that Barber once gave her one of her jackets, and pinned to the inside of the sleeve was a prayer.
"She truly believed she was a servant of God, and she was doing God's work on earth," Barber-Carey said. "It was to have persons with disabilities acknowledged -- that they were children of God, just as a person without a disability is, and as a child of God, they deserve every right to have every opportunity to be the best they can possibly be."
Erie Mayor Joe Schember warmly recalls Barber's work with his daughter, Jodi, who is now 39. "She did seem holy to me," Schember, a Catholic, said of Barber. "She was a very open person, a very friendly person."
Speaking to his fellow bishops Nov. 12, Bishop Lohse said that Barber's "life and witness call us to remember and honor the presence of Christ, even in the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters, and to see reflected in them the beauty of a loving Creator."
After the "positio" for each woman is sent to Rome, it is to be reviewed and sent to the pope for a decree of heroic virtues. If the pope grants that decree, the person is given the title "venerable."
In general, for a cause to proceed to beatification, a confirmed miracle must be attributed to the venerable's intercession. A second miracle must be confirmed before a person is canonized.
"Especially in this time, people are longing for God," said Norton, Sister Annella's longtime promoter. "These saints can bring souls to God. Not just one, not just two, but thousands and millions."
— Maria Wiering, OSV News
U.S. bishops to consider creating task force for synodal implementation
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U.S. bishops to consider creating task force for synodal implementation
BALTIMORE — The U.S. bishops are considering the creation of a task force that would focus on the implementation of synodality within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of San Diego proposed the task force, which was supported from the floor by Cardinals Blase J. Cupich of Chicago and Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, and a subsequent voice vote of approval from the body of bishops. The job of discerning the task force was then given by the USCCB's president, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, to the conference's Committee on Priorities and Plans for further study.
The discussion on the floor followed reflections on the recent Synod of Bishops on synodality held in Rome offered by Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, two of the bishop-delegates from the United States.
Archbishop Lori, who attended the synod in Rome for the first time this past October, said that it was both "enlightening" and "challenging" to be in the same room with delegates from around the world for those weeks. He added that the length of the monthlong synod said something about synodality itself -- that it is a "long-haul proposition," which requires patience, perseverance and trust.
Conversations, he said, "were marked by prayer, by listening to the word of God and listening to one another, by discerning together how we would do our work and what the results of that work would be, and by seeking consensus in the Holy Spirit."
The aim, he said, "was to overcome the polarization that hinders mission," adding, "It's only when we find unity in our diversity, and harmony in spite of disharmony that our mission proceeds." As challenging as the synodal method can be, he added, "it has something extremely important to say to our very fragmented and divided world."
Archbishop Lori shared that he took a side trip to Ukraine in the middle of the synod, and that the experience of listening to widows, orphans and the chaplains of the Knights of Columbus was an exercise itself in synodality.
Bishop Flores called the monthlong October event "an intense but, I think, happy month together." In his remarks, he told the bishops that it is "necessary" to receive the document approved by Pope Francis at the end of the synod "in a spirit of" and to "study it carefully and discern its implementation."Sharing how Pope Francis said, at the end of the synod, decisions remain to be made, Bishop Flores said he took that to mean that, "at least in part ... there are some matters recommended in the document that will have to be studied by the competent authorities and Rome before decisions are made regarding any changes in canon law."
He shared the importance of strengthening the bonds of communion with the pope, provinces, religious, the national episcopal conferences, but also the church in North America and Latin America by "strengthening the coherent witness of the church."
He also noted that "local discernments" will be key in implementing the document and that, while only bishops can make certain decisions, "the increased participation, collaboration and discernment with others on the way towards such decisions ... are what we will need to look at and act upon as we move forward."
Bishop Flores noted that the structures within the bishops' conference that helped with the coordination of the diocesan and continental listening sessions are still in place and can help further future synodal practices.
Regarding the episcopal conference structure itself, Bishop Flores said that the conference's work "will include discerning and deciding what changes and adaptations we as a conference should undertake in the light of synodality." His recommendation to the body of bishops would be first to "decide how to understand the implications of the document as a whole, and then discern its implementation and integration."
"I think it is clear that much theological work is needed as we go forward," he said, including on the place of episcopal conferences in the life of the church, which was much discussed at the synod.
He also mentioned the idea of the "sensus fidelium," asking "in what sense" can synodal assemblies "be said to offer a kind of expression of the sense of the faith?" This needs to "be thought about carefully, as it is far from a subtle question," he said, adding that the church can lean on tradition to help develop its understanding.
He also spoke about the importance of dialogue within the church in general.
"The ability to hear each other with the patience and generosity that grace demands is a 'habitus' in danger of being lost in our time," Bishop Flores said, adding that the church needs to rely on the Holy Spirit for assistance. He also asked that the bishops remember the voices expressed during the synodal process that asked that "we all be strengthened in our witness to the faith" and "at the same time ... make every effort to welcome the poor, the wounded, those who struggle with our teaching, those who just want to have a chance to walk with us as they seek to discover the voice of Christ in their lives."
"Doing both things at the same time has never been particularly easy, but in the better moments of our history, we have done this," he said. "And with the Lord's help, we can continue to do this. We can try better to do this."
— OSV News
Bishops stress standing for dignity of human life following presidential election
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Bishops stress standing for dignity of human life following presidential election
BALTIMORE — The Catholic Church "always insists on the dignity of the human person from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death, and we continue to insist on that," Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services said Nov. 12.
The archbishop, who is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, made the comments in a press briefing on the first of two daylong public sessions during the USCCB's annual fall plenary in Baltimore Nov. 11-14.
He was joined by the chair of the bishops' Committee on Migration, Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, chair of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities.
The prelates addressed the church's role on several issues in light of the results of the Nov. 5 presidential election. They talked about the importance of the church advocating for the dignity of all human life, particularly on the issues of abortion and immigration as the country prepares for President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration.
Archbishop Broglio said that the bishops "don't encourage illegal immigration," but "we certainly do take care of those who come to this country and really represent the face of Christ in their need."
He expressed the bishops' hope that "there will be an earnest effort to repair the immigration law in this country, and also there will be a renewed respect for the dignity of the human person."
OSV News asked the bishops about potential opportunities and challenges from the new administration on the issues of abortion, in vitro fertilization and immigration.
For all three of those issues, Bishop Burbidge said, "it's the truth that guides us" and "the protection of the sacredness of all human life, the dignity that belongs to every person as a child of God, must be uplifted and defended."
"And so, we will -- as we've always done with all administrations -- continue to dialogue with our elected officials," he said, "to take the opportunities to educate when we can and to have respectful conversations."
Bishop Burbidge was later asked by a reporter from The Associated Press about the results of the abortion ballot amendments at the state level, which included three victories for the pro-life movement, with Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota all rejecting measures adding protections for abortion in their state constitutions. Seven other states adopted protections for abortion in their constitutions in 2024.
Regarding the lessons learned from the ballot measures in the recent election, Bishop Burbidge said that one lesson is "to be ahead of the game, to get out early in messaging because the truth has to be conveyed concisely and in a clear way to all the faithful." He said another major lesson is to clarify "the extreme positions of those who are working to legalize abortion in their states."
He said that reaching out to young people in creative ways was also a key factor in successfully spreading a pro-life message in response to these amendments.
Bishop Seitz told OSV News that while the bishops "always look for ways in which we can collaborate with the administration" and "there will still be areas where we can do that," for "areas where the positions and actions that are taken are contrary to the teaching of the church, then we'll express our right concern."
On immigration, he said the bishops are "concerned based on the rhetoric before the election" and will "be watching what the administration does as it begins to announce its plans."
"We don't want to get ahead of them in a certain sense," he added. "We know that very often the reality is different from the rhetoric, and so we'll watch and respond as needed." He said that for immigrants currently in various stages of the process of receiving legal status, the bishops will assure them of their continued accompaniment and assistance.
In response to a question from Religion News Service about the possibility of mass deportations based on past statements from the Trump campaign, Bishop Seitz said that the bishops "are waiting to see just exactly what takes shape," but he said the bishops would be concerned over such action and would "express that concern that processes unfold in a legal way."
"We will raise our voice loudly if those basic protections for people that have been a part of our country from its very beginning are not being respected," he added. "We think that this is going to be a test for our nation. Are we in fact a nation based on law, on the most fundamental laws about the rights of the human person, or are we not?"
He said that "there are some people that are here who have not taken the steps that they need to or have not respected their opportunity. If there are people who have been convicted of crimes and the like, then the justice system needs to act in appropriate ways."
Bishop Seitz emphasized that the Gospel "isn't simply a set of nice sounding words," but a challenge "to live in a certain way, and when it comes to care for the most vulnerable among us, then that call becomes rather clear."
— Lauretta Brown, OSV News
US bishops in Baltimore urged to beg for wisdom 'to help those entrusted to our care'
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US bishops in Baltimore urged to beg for wisdom 'to help those entrusted to our care'
Bishops from around the country gather at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore Nov. 11, 2024, for the opening Mass of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' 2024 fall plenary assembly. (OSV News photo/Kevin J. Parks, Catholic Review)BALTIMORE — As the U.S. bishops began their fall general assembly Nov. 11, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio urged his brother bishops to beg for wisdom.
"We beg for wisdom because we recognize that we are servants of the truth and charged to find ways to help those entrusted to our care. Welcome that truth. See its logic and embrace the way of life that Christ holds out to us," said Archbishop Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese of the Military Services and president of the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In homily remarks reported by Catholic Review, the Archdiocese of Baltimore's newspaper, Archbishop Broglio acknowledged that the city's Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, America's first cathedral, had an important role in the history of the church, as the site of synods and councils of U.S. clergy and bishops over centuries, as far back as 1791.
"Perhaps our mini-pilgrimage to what might be considered the mother church of the synodal activity of the hierarchy in this country, symbolizes our continual walking with the Lord and our prayer that he inspire our ministry to the church of the United States," he said.
The Mass was held on the feast of St. Martin of Tours, a bishop. St. Martin is known for having encountered a beggar who was shivering in the cold. A Roman soldier at the time, he took his sword and cut his cloak in half to share it with the man. Later, in a dream, St. Martin saw Jesus wearing that half-cloak.
"We meet Christ in the one who meets us and to whom we respond," Archbishop Broglio said.
Providentially, the readings of the day included St. Paul's instructions to St. Titus that detailed the qualities needed in a bishop, including hospitality, temperance, a love of goodness, and being just, holy and "holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents" (Ti 1:9).
The bishops heard the passage from the Gospel of Luke (Lk 17:1-6) where Jesus Christ bemoans those who sin, that cause others to sin or harm little ones.
Archbishop Broglio said, "Indeed, we hear words about mercy, scandal and the weight of episcopal office in the sacred Scriptures proclaimed. The texts are so appropriate for our gathering when we meet as brothers and shepherds to deepen our attention to the Holy Spirit and to see how we can best fulfill our vocation to care for those we are privileged to serve."
He noted that Jesus is mercy personified. "His public ministry was characterized by healing, forgiveness and preaching about the Father's love.
"Throughout his life on earth, Jesus, the historic incarnation of the eternal Father's love, offered pardon to all of those who needed it," he said in the homily. Jesus' powerful words about scandal in this Gospel passage offer one of the strongest condemnations in the New Testament, Archbishop Broglio said. "As pastors, we are constantly aware of the importance of giving good example and ensuring that the same is offered by all of those who serve and collaborate with the community of faith."
He noted that the love of Christ encourages the bishops to protect others. "We have raised our voices and labored diligently to respond to the crisis of the poor in our land, and to welcome the stranger who often comes with no resources. We strive to defend the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death. These are the contemporary manifestations of the little ones who occupy such a privileged place in the teaching and the ministry of the Lord Jesus," the archbishop said.
"They are today's bearers of the half-cloak of St. Martin," he said. "It would be scandalous for us to be silent on these important issues."
For the bishops gathered, the archbishop noted that apostolic preaching still constitutes their primary responsibility. "Without the ministry and the hearing of the Word of God, no Christian community will ever be born or continue to move forward. Hence, the characteristics and the qualities of those who lead the community are demanding.
"We know their weight, and we renew our response to the Lord's mandate every day. May these days of fraternal exchange support us in our ministry and enliven our commitment to those entrusted to us by the church," Archbishop Broglio said.
The archbishop noted it was appropriate also that St. Martin of Tours was a soldier, as he acknowledged that the feast fell on Veterans Day.
"I would not be a faithful archbishop for the Military Services if I failed to mention that today is also Veterans Day. While the civil observance recalls the end of the First World War at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, the fact that Martin was a Roman soldier makes of the coincidence providential. Allow me to recognize the many veterans among the bishops and thank them and all of the veterans for their service."
More than 260 bishops and clergy attended the Mass in downtown Baltimore, creating a sea of violet zucchettos and white vestments. Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., and Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, USCCB vice president, were the principal concelebrants, along with cardinals and other clergy.
U.S. cardinals in attendance included Cardinals Blase J. Cupich of Chicago; Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston; Timothy M. Dolan of New York; Wilton D. Gregory of Washington; Robert W. McElroy of San Diego; Seán P. O'Malley, archbishop emeritus of Boston; Joseph W. Tobin of Newark; and Donald W. Wuerl, archbishop emeritus of Washington.
The USCCB meets in Baltimore through Nov. 14, with public sessions Nov. 12-13.
— Chris Gunty, OSV News
