The second day of public sessions at the U.S. bishops’ spring plenary culminated with the much anticipated consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus during a late afternoon Mass June 11 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe.
Headlining the June 10 public session of the U.S. bishops’ spring plenary in Orlando were addresses by the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the new apostolic nuncio to the United States, along with a preliminary presentation on proposed updates to the bishops’ landmark document on protection policies for children and minors.
While Pope Leo’s first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” is less than a month old, it’s already somewhat clear where the American bishops stand and how they will approach advocacy on the topic of Artificial Intelligence going forward.
The USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty issued Feb. 17 its “Annual Report on the State of Religious Liberty,” which highlights the legislative actions, executive actions, and U.S. Supreme Court cases the U.S. bishops are closely watching.
As the U.S. prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has encouraged Catholics to participate in initiatives including a collective 250 Hours of Adoration and 250 Works of Mercy.
Marking the Jan. 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, urged Catholics to reflect on how they are called to be “drum majors for justice” in their own communities.
For the first time in more than a decade, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a “Special Message” at their fall general assembly. The special message was on immigration, and described as a “a message of solidarity of us bishops together, and solidarity with our people” by Bishop Robert Brennan.
As they gathered for their annual fall meeting in Baltimore, the nation’s bishops considered possible revisions to their guiding document on Catholic health care — with protocols on the issue of gender dysphoria being “especially relevant in our day,” said the bishops’ doctrinal committee chair.
The nation’s Catholic bishops have launched a new effort to more closely engage the faithful in addressing the issue of mental health, particularly at the local level.
The U.S. bishops on April 10 told congressional lawmakers they support bipartisan legislation that would ease some immigration restrictions on religious workers from other countries, allowing them to stay in the U.S. while they wait for permanent residency.
