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- Catholic Bishops, Evangelicals Call for Action on New Start Treaty
(10-229)
December 6, 2010
WASHINGTON (December 6, 2010)—Spokespersons for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Association of Evangelicals are making a joint call for a vote on the New START Treaty's ratification. In a news conference Tuesday, leaders for both organizations will lay the moral ground for their support and will call for immediate and bipartisan action.
- Care for God’s Creation Topic of United Methodist-Catholic Dialogue as World Leaders Gathered to Discuss Climate Change
(09-268)
December 23, 2009
WASHINGTON—As leaders of nations and scientists were gathering in Copenhagen to figure out ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions that have been linked to global warming, representatives from the United Methodist Church (UMC) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) held their third meeting to discuss Christian responsibility in caring for God’s creation.
- Bishops Call Senate Health Care Reform Bill ‘Deficient,’ Essential Changes Needed Before Moving Forward
(09-267)
December 22, 2009
WASHINGTON—The current health care reform bill is “deficient” and should not move forward without “essential changes,” the chairmen of three committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops said December 22.
The chairs, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities; Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development; and Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, of the Committee on Migration, stated their position in a December 22 letter to senators working to pass the Senate version of health reform legislation. - Cardinal George Welcomes Pope Benedict’s Day of Peace Message, Stresses Human Ecology and Natural Ecology are Inseparable
(09-266)
December 22, 2009
WASHINGTON— The Catholic Church worldwide will celebrate the 43th World Day of Peace on New Year’s Day. Pope Benedict XVI has chosen “If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation” as the theme for 2010 celebration.
Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, welcomed Pope Benedict’s message for World Day of Peace (WDP) as he called on Catholics in the United States to work and pray for peace.
- Pope Accepts Resignation of Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk of Cincinnati; Co-Adjutor Archbishop Dennis Schnurr Succeeds
(09-265E)
December 21, 2009
WASHINGTON—Pope Benedict XVI has acaccepted the resignation of Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk, 75, from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Cincinnati. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr, 61.
- Health Reform Bill Needs More Work Despite New Language on Abortion, Say Catholic Bishops
(09-264)
December 19, 2009
WASHINGTON--The Senate health reform bill should not move forward in its current form, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, and Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City said December 19, as senators proceeded closer to a vote. Cardinal DiNardo chairs the bishops' Committee on Pro-life Activities. Bishop Murphy chairs the bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. Bishop Wester chairs the bishops' Committee on Migration.
- 'Abortion Compromise' Does Not Address Core Problem in Senate Health Bill, Says Cardinal Dinardo, Bishops' Pro-Life Chair
(09-263)
December 18, 2009
WASHINGTON—Responding to reports of a new “compromise” proposal on abortion in the U.S. Senate’s health care reform bill, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo today reaffirmed the position of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that the legislation will be morally unacceptable “unless and until” it complies with longstanding current laws on abortion funding such as the Hyde amendment. Cardinal DiNardo is Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and Chairman of the Conference’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities.
- Bishops Want Health Care Reform Aligned with Current Abortion Funding Laws; Urge Support for Menendez Amendment to Waive Waiting Period for Legal Immigrants
(09-260)
December 15, 2009
WASHINGTON—The U.S. bishops again urged senators to place Hyde Amendment language into proposed health care reform legislation, a step that would align the legislation with policies now governing all other federal health programs and the just-passed Consolidated Appropriations Act.
They made their request in a December 14 letter from Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities (http://www.usccb.org/healthcare/DiNardo_1214_letter.pdf) - Catholic Education Chair Lauds Notre Dame’s Initiative to Improve Access to Catholic Schools for Latino Children
(09-259)
December 15, 2009
WASHINGTON—Bishop Thomas J. Curry, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Catholic Education and auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, praised an initiative to improve access to Catholic schools for Latino children.
The initiative was designed by the Notre Dame Task Force on the Participation of Latino Children and Families in Catholic Schools. The report “To Nurture the Soul of a Nation: Latino Families, Catholic Schools, and Educational Opportunity” was made public December 12. The task force has set a goal of enrolling one million Hispanic children in Catholic schools by 2020, doubling the percentage of Latinos in Catholic school from 3 percent to 6 percent.
- Faith and Order Group Sees Church as Reflection of Holy Trinity
(09-258)
December 15, 2009
WASHINGTON—“The mission and the Trinitarian nature of the Church were discussed at the Fall meeting of the Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC), at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, October 15-17.
The Commission was hosted by the Rev. Dr. Stephen Ray, a Faith and Order commissioner and the Neal F. and Ila A. Fisher Professor of Systematic Theology at Garrett-Evangelical Seminary. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has participated in the Commission since 1968.
- Bishops Deeply Disappointed by Senate Vote to Table Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment
(09-256)
December 9, 2009
WASHINGTON—“The Senate vote to table the Nelson-Hatch-Casey amendment is a grave mistake and a serious blow to genuine health care reform,” said Cardinal Francis George, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “The Senate is ignoring the promise made by President Obama and the will of the American people in failing to incorporate longstanding prohibitions on federal funding for abortion and plans that include abortion.”
- National Vocation Awareness Week to Be Celebrated January 10-16
(09-255)
December 9, 2009
WASHINGTON—The Catholic Church in the United States will celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, January 10-16.
“This week provides the opportunity for parishes across the country to promote vocations through prayer and education,” said Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, chairman of the Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. “It is our responsibility to encourage young people to be generous in their response as they discern the possibility of a call to service in the Church. We must also ask parents, families and our parish communities to assist with this work, vocations are everyone’s business. As we pray for an increased number of seminarians and candidates for religious life, we recognize the importance of safeguarding the gift of vocations.”
- Pope Names Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Flores to Succeed Bishop Raymundo Peña in Brownsville, Texas
(09-254E)
December 9, 2009
WASHINGTON—Pope Benedict XVI has named Bishop Daniel Flores, auxiliary bishop of Detroit, 48, as bishop of Brownsville, Texas, and accepted the resignation of Bishop Raymundo Peña, 75, from the pastoral governance of that diocese.
The appointment and resignation were publicized in Washington, December 9, by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
- U.S. Bishops Urge Senators to Support Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment on Health Care Reform; Urge Constituents to Back It
(09-253)
December 7, 2009
WASHINGTON—The U.S. bishops have voiced support for the Nelson-Hatch-Casey Amendment to the Senate health reform bill and have asked voters to back it.
The bishops took the position in a Dec. 7 letter to all U.S. senators, after Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Robert Casey (D-PA) proposed an amendment to prevent the health reform bill from using federal funds to pay for health plans that include elective abortions. The ban would be similar to the Hyde Amendment, passed in 1976, to ban federal funds in the Health and Human Services’ appropriations bill from paying for coverage that includes most abortions.
- National Migration Week, January 3-9, to Focus on Migrant and Refugee Children
(09-251)
December 3, 2009
WASHINGTON—The Catholic Church in the United States will celebrate National Migration Week on January 3-9, 2010. The theme this year will again be “Renewing Hope, Seeking Justice,” although the focus will be migrant and refugee children, following the lead of the Pope Benedict XVI, who has chosen the theme “Minor Migrants and Refugees” for the 2010 World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
“Children are an exceptionally vulnerable population that are easily taken advantage of, exploited and abused. This is particularly true when they are undocumented and unaccompanied in a foreign country and, all too often, with nobody to turn to for help,” said Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Migration.
- USCCB Delegation to Visit Church in El Salvador in Wake of Tropical Storm
(09-250)
December 1, 2009
WASHINGTON—Following recent weather emergencies in El Salvador, Bishop John Manz, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago and a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Subcommittees on the Church in Latin America and the Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees, and Travelers, will visit El Salvador December 1-3. He will travel with Oblate Father Andrew Small, director for the Church in Latin America at the USCCB. They will visit local communities to see first-hand the impact of the flooding. They will also visit with Church leaders in affected areas of San Salvador, Cuscatlán y San Vicente, and La Libertad.