Coming together for the first time in two years has been good for the bishops of the United States, in the judgment of Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Church’s evangelizing mission can heal division, archbishop tells assembly
“People are starting to examine what they truly believe and what they value most deeply in their lives,” said Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, who spoke Nov. 16 during the opening public session of the USCCB’s Nov. 15-18 general assembly in Baltimore.
Bishop Pilla dies at 88; he led church efforts to unify Clevelanders
Retired Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of Cleveland, who led initiatives to bring diverse communities together to overcome poverty, racism and social inequity, died Sept. 21 at age 88, the Diocese of Cleveland said.
USCCB launches initiative to address polarization in U.S. society
Polarization across society has prompted the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to launch an initiative that looks to bring people together to serve the common good.
High court says eviction moratorium illegal, alarming Catholic Charities CEO
A national eviction moratorium that protected millions of Americans who have fallen behind on rent payments is unconstitutional, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled.
Push to ban ‘killer robots’ gets a boost from the Vatican and the pope
Among the many threats to human life and dignity, the Vatican is making sure that the widening use of lethal autonomous weapons systems worldwide is not reduced to a natural progression of technology that people learn to accept and live with.
Eucharist document should unite, not divide, the church, panelists advise
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, in the middle of drafting a teaching document on the Eucharist, received words of advice from a panel convened July 28 to discuss the challenges facing the American church as it emerges from the coronavirus pandemic and seeks to overcome divisions that threaten church unity.
CRS gradually restores services in Haiti amid series of crises
A series of debilitating crises in recent weeks — from a surge in COVID-19 cases to the assassination of a president — has left Haiti reeling again in uncertainty and forced Catholic Relief Services to curtail its outreach efforts.
Bishops vote to draft teaching document on the Eucharist
The U.S. bishops approved by a wide margin a plan to draft a document to examine the “meaning of the Eucharist in the life of the church” following a lengthy debate during their spring general assembly.
Bishops debate how long to discuss proposal to draft Communion document
The debate on the first day of the virtual assembly focused on amending the meeting’s agenda to add time to the next day’s debate so as many bishops’ voices could be heard over the “action item” on drafting the document.
Seminaries in Archdiocese of Baltimore among those committing to sexual misconduct policy benchmarks
Eighteen seminaries – including St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore and Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg – have committed to meeting five sexual misconduct policy benchmarks developed by a group of laypeople, seminary leaders and bishops.
USCCB president explains how planned discussion on Eucharist was set
After receiving an unprecedented letter from 67 bishops appealing for a delay in a discussion during the bishops’ upcoming spring general assembly on whether to prepare a teaching document on the reception of Communion, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ president explained in a memo the procedure followed in bringing the question to a vote during the June 16-18 virtual meeting.