As Bishop Gerald Kicanas prepares to hand over the reigns of the diocese of Tucson, Arizona next month, he looks back on his 51 years as a priest and a Church that has dramatically changed since he was first ordained. In an interview with The Tablet, Kicanas laments the current polarization in the Church and says he hopes to see more “Francis-like actions” by the U.S. bishops.
Two years after his visit to the United States in September 2015, Pope Francis is still enjoying widespread approval in the country.
President Trump has until Oct. 1 to set a deadline as to how many refugees the U.S. will allow this coming fiscal year. The president is reportedly looking to cap the number at 50,000. The USCCB is advocating to admit at least 75,000 refugees.
In a judicial nominee hearing last week, Senator Diane Feinstein questioned whether the nominee’s adherence to Catholic teaching should prevent her from a federal appointment. Less than twenty-four hours later, former White House strategist Steve Bannon lambasted the Catholic bishops for their support for DACA. Some have wondered if the two incidents indicate an uptick in anti-Catholic bias in the United States.
In his 2017 Labor Day statement, Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, calls for action based on a vision of work that supports the flourishing of the family, a clearer understanding on the nature of poverty, and solidarity with those on the margins of society.
U.S. bishops are scheduled to elect the next president and vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops at their upcoming general assembly, Nov. 14-16, in Baltimore, Md. Each office is elected from a slate of 10 candidates who were nominated by fellow bishops.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared, contrary to the plain meaning of current federal law, that the California Dept. of Managed Health Care can continue to force all health plans under its jurisdiction to cover elective abortions. The USCCB is calling for an immediate federal legislative remedy.
A Boston cardinal and the Maryland Catholic Conference were among hundreds of faith leaders who called for compassion in addressing the world refugee crisis and stressed the importance of developing a national immigration policy based on humanitarian need.
The U.S. bishops approved a formal statement on pornography and additions to their quadrennial statement on political responsibility at their Nov. 16-19 fall general meeting in Baltimore, Md.
The U.S. Catholic bishops pledged their prayers for those killed and injured at three sites in France’s capital and voiced their support for those “working to build just and peaceful societies.”
