The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is convening in Orlando for its spring meeting, with a wide-ranging agenda that includes discussions on various important topics.
Newsroom(13/06/2023 19:30, Gaudium Press) The bishops will engage in prayer and fraternal dialogue on June 14 before proceeding to the public meetings on June 15 and 16.
Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, and Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the USCCB President from the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, will deliver opening addresses during the public portion.
One potentially contentious subject for discussion is the vote on revising a section of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, focusing on the interaction between Catholic medical professionals and patients. Reports suggest that this revision aims to align with a doctrinal note released in March, emphasizing that Catholic healthcare services should not participate in procedures seeking to alter sexual characteristics to that of the opposite sex.
The vote to green-light a revision would also come on the heels of a report from the Lepanto Institute, released Monday, alleging that the largest Catholic healthcare system in the U.S., CommonSpirit Health, is performing transgender surgeries and providing hormone-based transgender therapies.
Additionally, the bishops will receive an update on the National Eucharistic Revival initiative and National Eucharistic Congress from Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota. This three-year initiative, which began in June 2022, aims to renew the Church’s connection with the Lord Jesus Christ through the holy Eucharist.
With eucharistic processions held across the United States of America on the feast of Corpus Christi, the revival which entered its second year in 2023, aimed at fostering eucharistic devotion at the parish level. The bishops are also planning a two-month National Eucharistic Pilgrimage starting in May 2024 with four major pilgrimage routes ending at the National Eucharistic Congress on July 16, 2024, in Indianapolis.
World Youth Day 2023, scheduled to take place in Lisbon, Portugal in August, will be another focal point of discussion, with the bishops receiving an update on the event.
Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, will lead a vote on drafting a new pastoral statement addressing the role of persons with disabilities in the life of the Church. This statement will consider technological advancements, increased autism diagnoses, and evolving perspectives on disability issues since the bishops’ initial statement in 1978.
The cause for the beatification and canonization of the Shreveport Martyrs will also be considered. These five French Roman Catholic priests dedicated their lives to caring for the sick during the 1873 yellow fever epidemic in Louisiana. They were named Servants of God in December 2020, and the bishops will explore advancing their cause at the local level.
Other agenda items for the bishops’ spring meeting include consideration of a new national pastoral plan for Hispanic/Latino ministry and a presentation on the Catholic Project’s National Study of Catholic Priests from Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Michigan, chair of the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations. The study found in October that burnout and trust issues with their bishops were among the significant concerns for diocesan priests.
The bishops will also receive an update on the 2021 to 2024 Synod of Bishops from Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
