Bishops Praise Archbishop Burke’s Appointment To Church’s Highest Court
WASHINGTON---Cardinal Francis George, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), praised the recent appointment of Archbishop Raymond L. Burke by Pope Benedict XVI as Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, a court that serves as the highest tribunal of appeal of the Catholic Church. Cardinal George assured Archbishop Burke of the prayers and best wishes of his brother bishops.
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U.S. Bishops Agree With Pew Study Finding That Faith Is Important To Americans, Stress Importance Of Ongoing Religious Education
WASHINGTON— The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops reacted to the findings of a report on religious beliefs and practices by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life made public today.
The study, which is based on a survey of more than 35,000 American adults, estimates that nearly 92 percent of American adults say they believe in God or a universal spirit. The findings also point to the fact that Americans take religion seriously, that faith is a very important part of their lives and that many of them attend religious services regularly and pray daily.
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Bishops Of G8 Nations Urge Their Leaders To Address Global Poverty And Climate Change At July G8 Summit
WASHINGTON – In a letter to leaders participating in the G8 Summit in Japan on July 7-9, the presidents of all the Catholic bishops’ conferences of the G8 nations urged Summit leaders to “deepen your commitments and actions to reduce global poverty and address global climate change.” The bishops wrote: “Our religious and moral commitment to protect human life and promote human dignity moves us to be particularly concerned for the poorest and most vulnerable members of the human family, especially those in developing countries.” The G8 leaders include President Bush and the heads of state of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom. Cardinal Francis George, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, signed the letter.
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— U.S. Bishops' Statement "On Embryonic Stem Cell Research"
— more at the spring meeting
Roundup: Bishops' Spring Meeting
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kan., displays a DVD on stem-cell research during the U.S. bishops' spring meeting in Orlando, Fla.
(CNS photo/Andrew Sullivan)
ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) -- A lively and intense debate over a 700-page translation of part of the Roman Missal dominated the public sessions of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' spring general assembly in Orlando June 12-14, but the bishops failed to come to a conclusion about the fate of the liturgical text.
With much less discussion, they approved a 2,000-word policy statement calling embryonic stem-cell research "gravely immoral"; directed their Committee on Doctrine to begin revising guidelines for Catholic health care institutions on medically assisted nutrition and hydration; designated Sept. 26, 2010, as National Catholic Charities Sunday; and voted to replace the more formal "vosotros" with the more familiar "ustedes" in Spanish-language Masses in the U.S.
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USCCB Mission Statement
The mission of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is to support the ministry of bishops with an emphasis on evangelization, by which the bishops exercise in a communal and collegial manner certain pastoral functions entrusted to them by the Lord Jesus of sanctifying, teaching, and governing.
This mission calls the Conference to
- Act collaboratively and consistently on vital issues confronting the Church and society
- Foster communion with the Church in other nations, within the Church universal, under the leadership of its supreme pastor, the Roman Pontiff
- Offer appropriate assistance to each bishop in fulfilling his particular ministry in the local Church