During their Nov. 11-13 meeting in Baltimore, the U.S. bishops elected new officers and discussed challenges in the Church and the nation. They spoke of their renewed efforts to help immigrants, youth and young adults, pregnant women and the poor as well their steps to combat gun violence and racism.
Auxiliary Bishop Andrew Cozzens of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was elected chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis at the bishops’ fall general assembly in Baltimore.
The bishops of every diocese in the United States have prepared detailed reports on the life of the Catholic Church in their dioceses and have made or are making reservations to fly to Rome.
This session, the Catholic bishops of Minnesota advocated in favor of a policy that would allow undocumented immigrants to drive legally in Minnesota. The bishops and Minnesota Catholic Conference staff have received plenty of feedback from Catholics throughout the state, in many instances expressing their disagreement with that policy proposal.
After nearly two weeks of massive protests in the fallout of scandals involving corruption and offensive private messages, Gov. Ricardo Rossello of Puerto Rico resigned from office, becoming the first governor to do so in the island's history.
The clerical abuse crisis and the “crisis of credibility” it created for the U.S. bishops have led to serious divisions within the U.S. Church and to a temptation to look for administrative solutions to problems that go much deeper, Pope Francis told the U.S. bishops.
Bishops must remember, particularly when under attack, that their role is to pray, be humble in knowing God chose them and remain close to the people, Pope Francis said in his morning homily.
"Accusations alleging that I ordered the two auxiliary bishops of Minneapolis to close the investigation into the life of Archbishop John C. Nienstedt are false," Archbishop Vigano said in a statement issued Aug. 26, a day after his original statement.
"What needs to happen is a genuine change in the church's culture, specifically among the bishops themselves," the board said. "This evil has resulted from a loss of moral leadership and an abuse of power that led to a culture of silence that enabled these incidents to occur.
Pope Francis has named three new auxiliary bishops for the Chicago archdiocese, Fathers Ronald Hicks, Robert Casey and Mark Bartosic, and he has accepted the resignations of Auxiliary Bishops George Rassas and Francis Kane of Chicago.
