Bishops To Meet Nov. 16-19, In Baltimore; Agenda Includes Votes On Liturgical Texts, Letter On Marriage, Document On Reproductive Technologies, Revision Of Item In Ethical And Religious Directives

WASHINGTON—The annual Fall General Assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will be November 16-19, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel.

In a change from the usual schedule, the meeting will begin with Mass on Monday morning, followed by regional meetings. The public plenary session will not open until early Monday afternoon.

At the assembly, the bishops will hear an address by the president of the USCCB, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago; and elect the USCCB chairs-elect of the Committees on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations; Divine Worship; Domestic Justice and Human Development; Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth; and Migration.

Other action items include votes on

• Sections of the New Roman Missal
• Pastoral letter, “Marriage: Life and Love in the Divine Plan”
• Document on reproductive technologies, “Life-giving Love in an Age of Technology”
• Revision of directive no. 58 in “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.”

The meeting agenda also will include a preliminary report on the Causes and Context Study on clergy sexual abuse of minors conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a report by the National Religious Vocation Conference on a recent study of religious vocations. The agenda is not finalized until immediately prior to the meeting so items may change.

Sessions open to media include November 16, early afternoon to 5 p.m., Nov. 17, 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. -5 p.m. and November 18, 9 a.m. to approximately 10:30 a.m. The rest of the meeting on November 18 and 19 will be for executive session, prayer and reflection.

Coverage of the bishops’ meeting is open to credentialed media. There will be media conferences after the morning session Tuesday and Wednesday and after the afternoon sessions, Monday and Tuesday.

Coverage 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 6, by fax (202-541-3173) or mail to

November Meeting Credentials
Department of Communications
3211 4th St., NE
Washington, DC 20017-1194

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