A new virtual format left little room for dialogue at day one of the U.S. Bishops annual fall meeting, but for one 45-minute stretch more than a dozen bishops gave their takes on laicized ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
Blaming St. John Paul II for McCarrick’s Advancement Called Misplaced
Following the Nov. 10 release of the Vatican’s 460-page report on former cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, some of the speculation in the media has centered on the role of St. John Paul II in McCarrick’s rise through church ranks.
McCarrick Report Summary Cites Lack of Serious Investigations of Rumors
Although dogged for years by rumors of sexual impropriety, Theodore E. McCarrick was able to rise up the Catholic hierarchical structure based on personal contacts, protestations of his innocence and a lack of church officials reporting and investigating accusations, according to the Vatican summary of its report on the matter.
Archbishop Gomez: Nation’s Leaders Must Now ‘Come Together’
Archbishop Gomez said he believes “at this moment in American history, Catholics have a special duty to be peacemakers, to promote fraternity and mutual trust, and to pray for a renewed spirit of true patriotism in our country.”
‘It Is an Attack on Everyone’: Bishops React to Nice Basilica Murders
Bishops in the United States and around the world expressed condolences after three people were murdered before Mass Oct. 29 in the basilica in Nice, France.
Conversations on Racism With Family, Friends Are Key to Change, Says Speaker
The annual Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice, the largest Catholic social justice gathering in the United States, is known for dispensing sharp opinions.
HHS Ensures Hospital Patients Have Access to Spiritual Care Amid Pandemic
The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Religious Liberty praised the Department of Health and Human Services for resolving discrimination complaints over two hospitals’ refusal to let patients have access to the sacraments of baptism and the anointing of the sick during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bishops Remind Catholics to Approach Elections With Well-Formed Conscience
The Catholic voter “bears responsibility for connecting the dots between what our faith teaches and which candidates will best serve the common good,” Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City said in a recent column for The Catholic Missourian, the diocesan newspaper.
Bishops to Vote for Religious Liberty Chair, Seven Committee Chairmen-Elect
The U.S. Catholic bishops will vote for the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty and a chairman-elect for each of seven other standing committees before the USCCB convenes its annual fall general assembly, which is being held virtually Nov. 16-17.
Bishops Offer Good Wishes, Prayers for Trumps, All Suffering From COVID-19
Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said he was praying for President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, adding, “May God grant them full healing and may he keep their family safe and healthy.”
