A full and substantive agenda awaits the US bishops at their November 14-17 meeting in Baltimore.
A partial list of agenda items includes
- an address by the Papal Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre; last year, the Pope extended his term beyond the customary five years and the customary retirement age
- the final address by Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles as USCCB president
- the election of a new president, vice president, and chairmen of six committees
- discussion of the Synod on Synodality, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the bishops’ Eucharistic revival initiative
- in light of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, a discussion of supporting women and families
- discussion of the new catechumenate model of marriage preparation and World Youth Day 2023
- a “review and approval of five translations for liturgical rituals”
- a discussion of Journeying Together, the bishops’ young adult initiative
- a discussion of potential revisions to Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship for the 2024 national election
The above comes from a Nov. 3 posting on CatholicCulture.org.
Big …. Waste …of …… Time
Not ..,one…more….dime!
Your annual contribution to the USCCB is 17 cents, according to an article on the Pillar website.
If the leaders of our church accomplished anything we could support, we wouldn’t complain. However……
What do you think they should do that they are not doing?
I too wish I could find some reason for eager anticipation of the bishops’ meeting but like the first two posters I find this difficult. Archbishop Christophe Pierre was kept on by P. Francis precisely because he enthusiastically supports the pope’s priorities, unlike, say, Bps. Strickland & Cordileone. Part of my concern really has to do with Rome and the synodal way. From the Working Document for the Continental Stage:
Paragraph 103: The message of our synodal way is simple: we are learning to walk together, and sit together to break the one bread, in such a way that each is able to find their place. Everyone is called to take part in this journey, no one is excluded. To this we feel called so that we can credibly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus to all people.
But P. Francis has already excluded those who prefer the TLM. These people are not worth listening to because they are, quite simply, anti-synodal. In fact any charism that does not explicitly embrace synodality and its implications looks to be squashed like a bug. How could a St. Benedict of Nursia arise under such circumstances, that is, a reformer who separates himself from the world to live a stricter monastic life? If, and one waits to see how far this goes, there is marked change in Catholic moral thinking, what of those who resist? They too will be branded “anti-synodal.” Perhaps my fears are ungrounded, but at this point they are real for me.
St. Benedict of Nursia would welcome this. It has nothing to do with changing Catholic moral thinking. Absolutely nothing.
There are those in the hierarchy who would disagree with you. Let us hope their voices do not prevail.
If you distrust the Church, you distrust Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Yes, they invited everyone’s input. You do not have to be Catholic or even Christian.
What the Pope wants is for the voice of the Holy Spirit to be heard.
If you hear “ordain women” you know it is not the Holy Spirit and you also know that someone needs instructing.
If you hear “bless gay marriages” you know that it is not of the Holy Spirit and that someone needs instructing.
These things are often based on a ignorance of Scripture, ignorance of Christ, ignorance of Tradition and ignorance of the face that Holy Spirit guides the Church.
There is no one who is trying to democratize the Church or grease the squeaky wheel.
Synodality is not democracy. It is not appeasement of whiners. It is about learning what is preventing the spread of the Gospel or why the Gospel is being rejected.
When you went to the peripheries to share the Good News, what happened? Was it accepted? Was it rejected? Do people believe in God but do not like the Church? Did anybody actually go to the peripheries? Do Catholics understand their duty to spread the Gospel and to help people see that Christ resides in the Catholic Church in a special way?
You made me click. And I clicked right off.
shepherds don’t “journey” with flocks, they lead them with superior awareness of good and bad fields. If the sheep want to get creative, it’s their cliff. shepherds who don’t know that, put down your staffs.
The Good Shepherd
John 10:11-18
Matthew 18:10-14, Luke 15:1-7
The Church is suffering from a case of synoditis.
The cure: the medicine of Confession and return to fidelity to Christ and His teachings.
Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for
those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace
and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new
possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. The Fathers of the Church
present this sacrament as “the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the
loss of grace.”
– Catechism of the Catholic Church 1446
That is of course a part of the spirituality or the super-naturality of the Church.
Once again, nobody understands the synod on synodality.
All Participate (not just clergy, bishops or the Pope) in the Mission of the Church (evangelize) in Communion with the Church (including holiness and Confession for when we fall)
that’s 17 cents too much