Posts Tagged The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
USCCB and Pope Francis are singing from different hymnals / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Voice of the Faithful on November 16, 2016
Watching the USCCB meeting this week was frustrating. The conference seems stuck. At a time when the country desperately needs a strong moral voice, the united voice of the bishops is sidelined, fretting about things that don’t matter and tepidly addressing the things that do. And, it was apparent to all that the concerns of Pope Francis are far from the concerns of the USCCB …
“In his update to the body on the work of the ad hoc Committee on Religious Liberty, Archbishop William Lori said they were making a difference. Are they …
“I heard almost no mention of the environment or Laudato Si’ at the USCCB meeting. Think about that for a minute …
“There was frequent mention of the charitable work of the church. But, there were no bishops heading to the microphones to denounce the ‘economy that kills’ …
“There was also a lack of discussion, at least in public session, about Amoris Laetitia …
“And, of course, the biggest immediate issue the bishops face is the prospect of mass deportations of many of our Catholic parishioners …
“… Sadly, I fear the country is about to be morally vandalized, indeed that process has already begun. There is a parable in the Gospel about the need for the night watchman to be vigilant. It is a parable the bishops should take to heart.”
By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this column.
U.S. Catholic bishops release annual abuse report
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on May 23, 2016
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops released its 2015 annual audit report on the implementation of its Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People this past Friday, May 20, 2016. The report was not entirely complimentary of the Church’s efforts:
Audit of U.S. Catholic church shows sharp spike in sex abuse reports
By Scott Malone, Reuters
“Annual audit of reports of sexual abuse by members of the U.S. Roman Catholic clergy released on Friday (May 20) showed sharp increases in the number of new claims and in the value of settlements to victims.”
Annual report shows continued toll of clergy sex abuse crisis
By Matt Rocheleau, The Boston Globe
“The Catholic church paid $153 million in the United States last year to settle lawsuits, and fielded hundreds of new accusations, as fallout continued form the clergy sex abuse scandal exposed in the early 2000s, a new report from church leaders says.”
USCCB abuse audit warns of complacency, cites ‘room for improvement’
By Mark Pattison, Catholic News Service
“The annual report on the implementation of the U.S. bishops’ ‘Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People’ warns against complacency in dioceses, and the firm contracted to conduct audits of dioceses and parishes said there was ‘plenty of room for improvement’ in implementing two of the charter’s articles.”
Bishops’ conference releases 2015 abuse audit report
By Dennis Coday, National Catholic Reporter
“The U.S. bishops’ conference released this morning (May 20) its 13th Annual Report on the Implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The report, which covers the period July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015, is really two reports in one …”
Number of U.S. priests accused of sexually abusing children and numbers of persons alleging abuse
Compiled by BishopAccountability.org
“As of May 20, 2016, information published by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) indicates that the conference has counted 6,528 clerics ‘not implausibly’ and ‘credibly’ accused of sexually abusing minors in the period 1950 through June 30, 2015, with several gaps. Out of a total of 116,153 priests who have worked in those years, this latest number represents 5.6% of the priests.
“This interim number is instructive. As recently as November 2002, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then in charge of all abuse cases for the Vatican, said in an interview that in the United States ‘less that 1% of priests are guilty of acts of this type.’ Meanwhile, in the few U.S. dioceses where investigations or disclosures have provided adequate data, including Boston, we are seeing rates as high as 10%. If that is ultimately found to be the percentage nationally, the total would rise to 11,615 priests accused of abuse.”
U.S. bishops struggling under Francis’ pontificate / Associated Press
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on November 10, 2014
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2014 fall general assembly starts today, Nov. 10, in Baltimore, Maryland.
U.S. Roman Catholic bishops are gathering at a moment of turbulence for them and the American church, as Pope Francis moves toward crafting new policies for carrying out his mission of mercy — a prospect that has conservative Catholics and some bishops in an uproar.
“The assembly, which starts Monday (Nov. 10) in Baltimore, comes less than a month after Francis ended a dramatic Vatican meeting on how the church can more compassionately minister to Catholic families.
“The gathering in Rome was only a prelude to a larger meeting next year which will more concretely advise Francis on church practice. Still, the open debate at the event, and the back and forth among bishops over welcoming gays and divorced Catholics who remarry, prompted stunning criticism from some U.S. bishops.”
By Rachel Zoll, Associated Press — Click here to read the rest of this story.
U.S. Bishops Elect New Leaders
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Voice of the Faithful on November 12, 2013
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops elected new leadership this morning during its assembly, which is being held this week in Baltimore. Here are a couple of stories from National Catholic Reporter, which is covering the assembly:
Voice of the Faithful
A lay movement for governance reform in the Roman Catholic Church, responding to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and supporting survivors.
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