BISHOPS TO MEET NOVEMBER 10-13 IN BALTIMORE; AGENDA INCLUDES ADDRESS BY CARDINAL GEORGE; ELECTION OF USCCB SECRETARY, COMMITTEE CHAIRS-ELECT; APPROVAL OF LITURGICAL TEXTS
WASHINGTON—The annual Fall General Assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will be November 10-13, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel.
At the assembly, the bishops will hear an address by the president of the USCCB, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago; and elect the USCCB secretary and chairs-elect of the Committees on National Collections, Cultural Diversity, Doctrine, Pro-Life Activities and Communications.
Other action items include votes on the revised Grail Psalter for use in the United States, the translation of the Proper of the Seasons, the Order for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb, and the translation of the Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children.
The bishops also will hear a report by Bishop Gerald Kicanas, USCCB vice-president, on the work of the Priority Task Force. Bishop Kicanas will present the goals and objectives of the bishops’ five task forces to address strengthening marriage, faith formation and sacramental practice, life and dignity of the human person, cultural diversity in the church and promoting vocations to priesthood and religious life.
Presentations will be delivered on the “Ethical and Religious Directives for Health Care Services” and on “Covenant and Mission,” the 2002 statement of the National Council of Synagogues and the USCCB Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. The bishops also will discuss practical and pastoral implications of political support for abortion.
Sessions open to media include those on November 10, from 9 a.m. to mid-afternoon, and November 11, from 9 a.m. until mid-afternoon. The rest of the meeting will be for breakout sessions, executive sessions and prayer and reflection.
Coverage of the bishops’ meeting is open to credentialed media. There will be press conferences at 12:30 p.m. (ET), November 10 and 11, and they will be available through live streaming on the USCCB Web site. Reporters seeking to cover the meeting on site can download a credential application from the Web at
http://www.usccb.org/comm/credentialform.pdf and submit it by November 3, by fax (202-541-3173) or mail to
November Meeting Credentials
Department of Communications
3211 4th St., NE Washington, DC 20017-1194
