WASHINGTON (March 30, 2011)—The U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine authorized a statement March 24, critiquing Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God, a book by a Fordham University Professor, Sister Elizabeth A. Johnson, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, New York.

WASHINGTON (March 29, 2011)—“We remain firmly committed to the defense of religious liberty for all—not just for Catholics—because our commitment is to the dignity of each and every human person,” said Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the retired archbishop of Washington, testifying on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights hearing on “Protecting the Civil Rights of American Muslims.”

WASHINGTON (March 28, 2011)— The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America approved nearly $2 million in grants during its March 21 meeting. The purpose of the grants is to aid the pastoral work and ministry of the Church in the region.

WASHINGTON (March 25, 2011)——The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has urged the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) not to adopt a proposed regulation that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected categories for which discrimination in HUD programs is prohibited.

WASHINGTON (March 25, 2011)—As the U.S. and other nations take military action to protect the people of Libya from their own government, the U.S. bishops asked the Obama administration to stay focused on this limited goal and mission, as well as the wellbeing of the civilian population.

WASHINGTON (March 24, 2011)—Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, reiterated the U.S. bishops’ resolve to deal firmly with clerics who abuse children in a March 22 statement.

WASHINGTON (March 24, 2011)—The Catholic Relief Services Collection (CRSC) supports families in distress, whether across the street or half way around the globe. The national date for this collection, which funds six major national and international Catholic relief agencies, is set for the weekend of April 2-3.

WASHINGTON (March 23, 2011)—On the anniversary of the 1980 assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador, the chairmen of various committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) reflected on the relevance of the Archbishop’s witness for today.  “This week’s visit of President Obama to Archbishop Romero’s tomb reminds us of the Archbishop’s powerful legacy.  He spoke with courage to political leaders to champion justice and peace, and we must do the same today,” said Bishop Howard J. Hubbard, of Albany, chairman of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace. 

WASHINGTON (March 23, 2011)— The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced the launch of a major Spanish-language media initiative in support of marriage and the family.

WASHINGTON—Pope Benedict XVI has named Msgr. Donald F. Hanchon, 63, pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in Detroit and episcopal vicar for the central region of the Archdiocese of Detroit, and Father Michael Byrnes, 52, pastor of Presentation/Our Lady of Victory Parish and vice-rector of Sacred Heart Seminary, as auxiliary bishops for the Detroit Archdiocese.

The appointments were publicized in Washington, March 22, by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.

“The Catholic Church and Immigration: Pastoral, Policy and Social Perspectives” conference at The Catholic University of America (CUA) is being live-streamed today, March 21, at http://live.cua.edu/,   9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WASHINGTON (March 16, 2011)—Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), expressed the prayers and solidarity of the U.S. bishops and Catholic for the people of Japan following the March 11 earthquake.

WASHINGTON (March 16, 2011)—Pope Benedict XVI has named Father Thomas A. Daly, 50, Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of San Francisco and president of Marin Catholic High School, as an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of San Jose, California.

WASHINGTON (March 11, 2011)—Anglican and Catholic ecumenical leaders examined moral discernment and homosexuality at their current round of dialogue where they explore the positions of the Catholic and Episcopalian churches on theological issues.

WASHINGTON (March 11, 2011)—Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Bishop John H. Ricard, SSJ, 71, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida, for health reasons. At the same time, Pope Benedict named Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami as the Apostolic Administrator of the diocese until the installation of a new bishop.

WASHINGTON (March 10, 2011)—The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) congratulated the Illinois bishops, the Catholic Conference of Illinois, the Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty, and all advocates for their work to bring about the repeal of the death penalty in Illinois.

WASHINGTON (March 8, 2011)—The U.S. bishops will begin a scholarship program and provide funding for educational programs identified by the bishops’ conferences of Eastern Africa. Initial funding comes from a $500,000 anonymous gift to the Subcommittee on the Church in Africa of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) received in 2008.

WASHINGTON (March 7, 2011)—Congress should place the needs of the poor, unemployed, hungry and other vulnerable people first as it sets its budget priorities for Fiscal Year 2011, said the bishop who oversees domestic policy on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

WASHINGTON (March 4, 2011)—The March 2 assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s Minister of Minority Affairs, silenced the voice of someone who worked to raise the profile of all minorities, especially Christians, said the bishop who oversees international justice and peace matters for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

WASHINGTON (March 4, 2011)—Leaders of Catholic, Protestant and Sikh communities of faith—together representing tens of millions of adherents—joined together to urge the U.S. House of Representatives to fight for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in federal courts, in a March 3 letter to Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), Speaker of the House of Representatives.

WASHINGTON (March 3, 2011)— “Our nation and government have the duty to recognize and protect marriage, not tamper with and redefine it, nor to caricature the deeply held beliefs of so many citizens as ‘discrimination,’” said Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). His statement followed the February 23 announcement that President Obama has instructed the Department of Justice to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a move Archbishop Dolan called an “alarming and grave injustice.”

WASHINGTON (March 3, 2011)—More than 16,500 youth and young adults from across the United States have already registered to participate in World Youth Day 2011, in Madrid, August 16-21. The participants represent 380 different U.S. groups.
           
At least 60 U.S. bishops will accompany the youth on their pilgrimage to the Spanish capital. Among them will be Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), as well as Cardinals Seàn O’Malley of Boston, Francis George of Chicago, and Theodore McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington.

WASHINGTON (March 3, 2011)—Signing a bill to end the use of the death penalty would “begin building a culture of life in our country,” said the bishop who oversees the domestic justice efforts of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in a letter to the governor of Illinois.

WASHINGTON (March 1, 2011)—Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Roger M. Mahony from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The cardinal presented his resignation upon having reached the age of 75. He is succeeded by Archbishop José H. Gomez, 59, until now coadjutor archbishop of the same see.