It is doubtful that whatever the bishops say will have much effect on the 2024 election. It is sad that the church does not have a prophetic word to say when our country and the world are in crisis.
The dominant reality, for the U.S. bishops' conference and for the country, is that more division is one the way, and the crying need for common purpose and shared aspirations seems ever more remote.
We say: For their conference president, U.S. bishops chose a culture warrior known for opposing the priorities of Pope Francis. Despite Francis' attempts to be a more welcoming church, the U.S. bishops seem out of step.
The U.S. bishops' conference continued in a conservative direction Nov. 16, electing Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley over Newark Cardinal Joseph Tobin to serve as the group's No. 3 official for the next two years.
The U.S. Catholic bishops' new president is Archbishop Timothy Broglio, a former Vatican diplomat who has supported religious exemptions for coronavirus vaccines and has blamed gay priests for the clergy abuse crisis.
The U.S. bishops have sent a clear message of rejection to Pope Francis by selecting Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who heads the Archdiocese for the Military Services, as president of the bishops' conference.
The official agenda of the U.S. bishops' plenary meeting has not been released, but they will be electing officers and committee chairs, and discussing their teaching document related to voting. And what else?
The Nov. 14-17 gathering of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will mark important milestones and turning points for the U.S. church, including the election of a new conference president and vice president.
Despite its name, "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship" minimizes the formation of consciences. Time for the U.S. bishops to start over, argues columnist Michael Sean Winters.
Given the polarization in the U.S. bishops' conference, they would be smart to elect a new president and vice president who can help unite the group and the church, says columnist Michael Sean Winters.
