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- Peter's Pence Collection, an Invitation to Cast the Light of Christ upon the World
(09-119)
May 28, 2009
- Bishops Praise Decision by California Supreme Court to Uphold Definition of Marriage as "Between One Man and One Woman"
(09-118)
May 27, 2009
- Pope Accepts Resignation of Bishop of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Appoints Successor; Names Auxiliary Bishop in St. Paul-Minneapolis
(09-117)
May 27, 2009
- CARDINAL GEORGE PRAISES PRESIDENT OBAMA'S PROMISE TO SUPPORT CONSCIENCE CLAUSES, SEEKS TO WORK WITH ADMINISTRATION ON GOAL
(09-116)
May 22, 2009
- USCCB SUBMITS COMMENTS TO NIH ON PROPOSED GUIDELINES FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH
(09-115)
May 22, 2009
- BISHOPS RENEW LONG-TERM AND URGENT CALL FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM THAT BENEFITS ALL IN STATEMENT TO SENATE COMMITTEE
(09-114)
May 22, 2009
- NEW USCCB-SPONSORED WEB SITE HIGHLIGHTS CATHOLIC TEACHING ON ECONOMIC LIFE
(09-113)
May 22, 2009
- Solidarity Fund for Church in Africa Posts New Promotional Materials
(09-112)
May 20, 2009
- Pope Names Philadelphia Auxiliary Bishop Cistone To Saginaw, Michigan
(09-111)
May 20, 2009
- PUT ON HOLD? STUCK IN TRAFFIC? MAYBE GOD'S CALLING YOU TO PRAY, SAYS SHEILA GARCIA, USCCB FAMILY LIFE OFFICIAL
(09-110)
May 19, 2009
- CATHOLIC-MUSLIM DIALOGUE EXAMINES INTERRELIGIOUS EDUCATION
(09-109)
May 19, 2009
- Pope Accepts Resignation of Bishop Ignatius Wang, Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco
(09-106)
May 16, 2009
- May 22 Is National Day Of Prayer And Remembrance For Mariners And People Of The Sea
(09-108)
May 15, 2009
- JEWISH-CATHOLIC DIALOGUE SUPPORTS POPE'S WITNESS IN ISRAEL
(09-107)
May 15, 2009
- CARDINAL RIGALI APPLAUDS SENATE RE-INTRODUCTION OF 'PREGNANT WOMEN SUPPORT ACT', URGES PASSAGE
(09-105)
May 15, 2009
- CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCES ANNUAL AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP, ART CONTEST FOR YOUTH
(09-103)
May 12, 2009
- Bishops Issue Statement on First Anniversary of Postville Enforcement Actions, Continue Call for Immigration Reform
(09-102)
May 11, 2009
- Pope Accepts Resignation of Winona Bishop, Coadjutor Succeeds
(09-101)
May 7, 2009
- BISHOPS URGE CATHOLICS TO CONTACT CONGRESS AND NIH: OPPOSE DESTRUCTIVE STEM CELL RESEARCH
(09-100)
May 6, 2009
- POPE IN HOLY LAND WILL PROMOTE INTER-RELIGIOUS COOPERATION
(09-099)
May 5, 2009
- USCCB MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE ENHANCES ITS MESSAGE BY EMBRACING NEW MEDIA
(09-098)
May 4, 2009
- HAVING BOTH BRIDE, GROOM ESCORTED DOWN THE AISLE WITH PARENTS EXPRESSES EQUALITY, SAYS LITURGIST
(09-097)
May 4, 2009
- Justice For Immigrants Campaign To Hold Regional Training In Colorado, May 19-20
(09-096)
May 1, 2009
WASHINGTON—Dioceses around the United States will conduct the Peter's Pence Collection, the collection that helps the Holy Father with his charitable works around the world, on June 27-28.
The Peter's Pence Collection allows the pope to respond quickly to those who face oppression, natural disasters, war and disease. U.S. Catholics traditionally have been among the most generous donors to this collection.
WASHINGTON—The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops publicly praised yesterday's decision by California Supreme Court to uphold the definition of marriage as "the union of one man and one woman" contained in California's Proposition 8. Proposition 8 was approved by the voters last November.
Speaking on behalf of the U.S. Bishops, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage, expressed the bishops' satisfaction with the decision.
WASHINGTON—Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Bishop Edward P. Cullen, 76, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, and has named as his successor Msgr. John O. Barres, 48, chancellor of the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware.
The same day he also named Father Lee Piché, 51, as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Bishop–elect Piché has been vicar general of the archdiocese.
WASHINGTON—Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, praised President Barack Obama's promise to support conscience clauses.
"Caring health professionals and institutions should know that their deeply held religious or moral convictions will be respected as they exercise their right to serve patients in need," Cardinal Francis George said.
"Catholic providers, in particular, make a large and essential contribution to health care in our society. Essential steps to protect these conscience rights will strengthen our health care system and enhance many patients' access to necessary life-affirming care.
WASHINGTON—The National Institutes of Health (NIH) missed "an enormous opportunity to show how sound science and responsible ethics can not only co-exist but support and enrich each other," said Msgr. David Malloy, General Secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), in comments on draft guidelines to authorize federally funded human embryonic stem cell research. The comments were submitted during the official public comment period on the proposed guidelines, which ends May 26. The Conference has also provided a convenient way for other concerned citizens to submit comments to the NIH on this issue, by visiting the Web site www.usccb.org/stemcellcampaign.
Msgr. Malloy cited the dignity of human life at every stage and the innate human right not to be subjected to harmful experimentation without one's express and informed consent. He said laws that fail to recognize this right "do not succeed in nullifying the right in question, but only call into question their own moral legitimacy."
WASHINGTON—Expressing hope that the current dialogue would bring about real reform, Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y. offered the U.S. bishops' principles and criteria for health care reform in a May 20 statement to the Senate Committee on Finance's Roundtable Discussion on "Expanding Health Care Coverage." On May 21, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) sent letters expressing the same message to the House, Senate and White House.
Bishop Murphy, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Social Justice and Human Development of the USCCB, noted that the bishops "have been and continue to be consistent advocates for comprehensive health care reform leading to accessible and affordable health care for all," renewing the bishops' long-term support for health care reform.
WASHINGTON—In response to the current economic crisis and its moral and human impacts, a new USCCB Web site has been developed to better share Catholic social teaching on economic life and how it can shape the responses of Catholics to the economic crisis.
Catholic Teaching on Economic Life (www.usccb.org/jphd/economiclife) features the ten-point "A Catholic Framework for Economic Life," which is downloadable in handout form. The Web site is sponsored by the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
WASHINGTON—The Office of National Collections of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has posted new materials online to help parishes and dioceses promote participation in the Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa. The new materials, including clip art, bulletin inserts and bulletin/pulpit announcements, can be found at http://www.usccb.org/churchinafrica/resources.shtml.
Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Africa in March and the upcoming Synod of Bishops for Africa in the fall have highlighted both the needs of the Church in Africa and its great promise. The synod's working document calls for a united effort among Catholics to help end the injustices in Africa, to promote peace, and to find a better way for the faithful in Africa to have a more active role in promoting unity in the church and in society for the common good.
WASHINGTON—Pope Benedict XVI has named Bishop Joseph R. Cistone, 60, an auxiliary bishop in Philadelphia, as Bishop of Saginaw, Michigan.
The appointment was announced in Washington, May 20, by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Bishop Cistone succeeds Archbishop Robert Carlson, who was named Archbishop of St. Louis, April 21.
WASHINGTON—Long moments on hold or stuck in traffic might be God-given moments for prayer.
That's what Sheila Garcia, wife, mother, commuter and associate director at the U.S. Bishops' Secretariat for Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, says in "Ten Pointers for Family Prayer." The list can be found at http://www.foryourmarriage.org/interior_template.asp?id=20399049
Below are the ten points.
WASHINGTON—The Mid-Atlantic Muslim Catholic Dialogue met May 6-7 in Washington to draft a joint statement, "Developing a Strategic Plan on Interreligious Education in the United States."
The meeting was convened by the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and Catholic representatives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. It explored the fundamental principles of interreligious education articulated in a document prepared by the Chicago Coalition for Interreligious Learning as part of a Muslim-Catholic educational exchange by the Council of Islamic Societies of Greater Chicago and the Archdiocese of Chicago in the 1990s.
WASHINGTON—Pope Accepts Resignation of Bishop Ignatius Wang, Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco
The acceptance of his resignation was announced in Washington, May 16, by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Bishop Wang (pronounced Wong) is believed to be the first Latin Rite Asian and first person born in China to be named to the U.S. hierarchy of bishops.
WASHINGTON—May 22n is National Day of Prayer and Remembrance for Mariners and People of the Sea. This day was established by the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in November 2005 to encourage Catholics in the country to support, pray and remember those who work in the maritime world.
In observance, the national office of the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) of the USCCB's Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church, will sponsor a Mass at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 21, at St. Dominic Church (630 E Street SW), a building with historic ties to Washington's waterfront and to people who earn their living on the water. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, will be the principal celebrant and homilist. Expected to attend this year's Mass are Maritime Administration (MARAD) officials, staff of the House of Representatives' Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, representatives of the Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board, the Philippines Ambassador to the USA, AOS chaplains, mariners and family members.
WASHINGTON—Leading rabbis in interfaith relations applauded Pope Benedict XVI's speech at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, which had earlier drawn criticism from several Israeli politicians and journalists.
Leading rabbis in interfaith relations applauded Pope Benedict XVI's speech at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, which had earlier drawn criticism from several Israeli politicians and journalists.
WASHINGTON—Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chair of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote to all U.S. Senators urging them to support the Pregnant Women Support Act (PWSA, S. 1032) re-introduced in the Senate by Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) on May 14. The PWSA provides resources and support for pregnant and parenting women and their families.
The Cardinal recently wrote to U.S. Representatives encouraging them to support the House version of the PWSA (H.R. 2035) introduced by Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-TN).
The PWSA "reaches out to women with a helping hand when they are most vulnerable, and most engaged in making a decision about life or death for their unborn children," Cardinal Rigali said. "It provides an authentic common ground, an approach that people can embrace regardless of their position on other issues."
WASHINGTON—The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has announced two major initiatives to involve young Catholics in learning about the Church's social teaching and to recognize young adults for their efforts to address the root causes of poverty and injustice. CCHD is the domestic anti-poverty social justice program of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
The Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award is given to a young adult age 18-30 who has demonstrated leadership against the causes of poverty and injustice in the U.S. The award aims to promote young people as leaders, honor their work in their parishes/organizations and strengthen the Catholic community's participation in CCHD's anti-poverty mission.
WASHINGTON—To commemorate the first anniversary of the Postville, Iowa, immigration worksite enforcement action, Bishop John C. Wester, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Migration released a statement recalling the humanitarian cost of such actions and calling, once again, for the reform of our nation immigration policies.
"My brother Catholic bishops and I understand and support the right and responsibility of government to enforce law," said Bishop Wester. "We strongly believe, however, that worksite enforcement raids do not solve the challenge of illegal immigration. Instead they lead to the separation of U.S. families and the destruction of immigrant communities."
WASHINGTON—Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Bishop Bernard J. Harrington, 75, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Winona, Minnesota, and has appointed as his successor Bishop John M. Quinn, 63, up until now Co-adjutor Bishop of Winona.
The appointment was announced in Washington, May 7, by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Bishop Quinn, a native of Detroit, was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit, March 17, 1972. He was named a monsignor in 1989, and an Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, July 7, 2003. Last October he was named Co-adjutor Bishop of Winona.
WASHINGTON—The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched a new "Oppose Destructive Stem Cell Research" campaign today, equipping citizens to contact Congress and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to oppose embryonic stem cell research and support ethical cures and treatments "we can all live with." The campaign is facilitated by the USCCB's partner organization, the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment.
Following President Obama's March 9 executive order, the NIH proposed guidelines for federally funded research that will require destroying live human embryos for their stem cells. The draft guidelines are open for public comment through May 26.
WASHINGTON—Look for Pope Benedict XVI to emphasize inter-religious cooperation when he visits the Holy Land, May 8-15, says Father James Massa, director of the U.S. Bishops' Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.
Father Massa has studied the thought of Pope Benedict and did his doctoral dissertation on the pope's earlier theological writings on the ecclesiology of communion before he was elected Pope Benedict. Father Massa noted themes to expect from the papal visit in Media Talk, a backgrounder found on the Media Relations site of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It can be found at http://www.usccb.org/mr/mediatalk/index.shtml
WASHINGTON—The Office of Media Relations of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is enhancing its media outreach through various new media, including a blog and a presence on the micro-blogging site, Twitter. These outlets bring a new dimension to the work of Media Relations, making the announcements and statements of the bishops' conference more immediately accessible to the general public, as well as the media.
The Twitter handle, http://twitter.com/usccbmedia, has over 900 followers and is maintained by Don Clemmer, Assistant Director of Media Relations at the USCCB. Clemmer uses the Twitter feed to drive traffic to USCCB news releases and other content that originates from the Office of Media Relations, to make the work of the conference more visible online.
WASHINGTON—Having both bride and groom escorted down the aisle by their parents expresses equality of the man and woman. That's also the suggestion of the Catholic Rite of Marriage, said Father Rick Hilgartner, associate director of the U.S. Bishop' Secretariat for Divine Worship.
"The bride and the groom enter freely and equally into marriage, and the entrance procession should reflect that," he said.
Father Hilgartner also recommended that the couple memorize their marriage vows rather than repeat them after the priest for a more meaningful and memorable occasion. He offered the suggestions in "Ten Things to Consider for Planning the Celebration of Your Marriage in the Catholic Church," a resource posted on the Web site of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops at http://foryourmarriage.org.
WASHINGTON—The Justice For Immigrants (JFI) campaign of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will hold a regional convening and training in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on May 19-20. The convening, which will take place at the Doubletree Hotel Colorado Springs, will bring together immigration reform supporters from Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma to provide them with coalition building skills, advocacy tools and other materials to strengthen and grow the support base for immigration reform. It will also seek to arm advocates with updated Catholic messages and educational pieces to continue to push for comprehensive immigration reform.
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver will preside the opening Mass for the convening, and Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs will concelebrate.