WASHINGTON (November 18, 2002) -- The Department of Communications of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced that the streaming video of portions of the proceedings of the recently completed meeting of the USCCB will continue to be available on the Conference website through January 3.

The special streaming video page for the meeting has been accessible via the Conference website (www.usccb.org) since the Bishops' Fall General Meeting began on November 11. It includes excerpts from presentations on the floor of the meeting, the full press conferences which were held at the end of the morning and afternoon sessions (except for Tuesday afternoon), and interviews with bishop participants, including Bishop Edward P. Cullen of Allentown, PA, Bishop Arthur N. Tafoya of Pueblo, CO, Auxiliary Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, FL, and Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington.

The general meeting of the USCCB was held at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, November 11-14. At the meeting, the Bishops approved the essential norms in canon law which govern policies dealing with allegations of sexual abuse of minors and the resulting revisions to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, as well as revisions to documents on domestic violence and Hispanic ministry, and a historic document on migration in concert with the Bishops Conference of Mexico. They also approved statements on the 30th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and on a potential conflict with Iraq.

"The streaming video project was undertaken to see how effectively Internet technology can provide an opportunity for the Bishops to communicate with the public directly as they deliberate on a wide range of issues facing Church and society," said Msgr. Francis Maniscalco, USCCB Secretary for Communications.

"We have tried to give viewers a sense of the meeting and also to go `behind the scenes' through interviews with Bishops that explain the significance of the actions taken," he said.
While this technology is not yet available to all, Msgr. Maniscalco expressed the hope that those who can make use of it -- especially in Catholic high schools and colleges -- will do so while the streaming video is still on the website.

NOTE: To view the programs, visit http://www.atlanticvideo.com/clients/ccom/log. Visitors can view the segments using either RealPlayer or Windows Media technologies.

List of site contents:

Excerpts from the meeting

• Presidential Address
  
  1. Preliminary Presentation of Action Items:
     
  2. "When I Call for Help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence"
     
  3. "A Matter of the Heart: A Statement on the 30th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade"
     
  4. "Encuentro and Mission: A Renewed Pastoral Framework for Hispanic Ministry"
     
  5. "A Place at the Table: A Pastoral Reflection of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops"
     
  6. "Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope"
• Introduction of the National Review Board and the Executive Director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection
  
• Report of the Mixed Commission on the Essential Norms (joined in progress)
  
• Report of the Task Force on Episcopal Accountability (proposal for a statement of episcopal commitment)
  
• Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse
  
• Debate and Vote on "When I Call for Help: A Pastoral Response to Domestic Violence"
  
• Debate and Vote on "A Matter of the Heart: A Statement on the 30th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade"
  
• Debate and Vote on "Encuentro and Mission: A Renewed Pastoral Framework for Hispanic Ministry"
  
• Preliminary presentation on a pastoral statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on a potential conflict with Iraq
  
• Debate and Vote on the Essential Norms for Diocesan/ Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests and Deacons
  
• Debate on a Statement of Episcopal Commitment
  
• Debate and Vote on revisions to the Charter for the Protection and Children and Young People
  
• Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Plenary Council
  
• Further Debate and Vote on a Statement of Episcopal Commitment
  
• Debate and Vote on "Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope"
  
• Debate and Vote on "A Place at the Table: A Pastoral Reflection of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops"
  
• Debate and Vote on a pastoral statement on a potential conflict with Iraq
  
• Press Conferences (two each from Monday and Wednesday, one from Tuesday)

• Bishop Cullen
  
• Bishop Tafoya
  
• Cardinal McCarrick
  
• Bishop Wenski

For media inquiries, e-mail us at commdept@usccb.org
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