Bishops begin big meeting in Baltimore

>>>The USCCB begins it's fall meeting in Baltimore and here are the topics up for discussion as provided by Kathy Schiffer at kathyschiffer.com:

Religious Liberty – Today the newly constituted Religious Liberty Committee has been meeting in closed-door session, and Committee Chair Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport will likely report to the full assembly tomorrow. The threats to our freedoms from the current Administration have been wide-ranging, from government support for same-sex “marriage” to the HHS contraceptive mandate for health care plans, to the recent denial of support for the Bishops’ highly effective programs to help victims of human trafficking. President Obama recently criticized the House’s “In God We Trust” vote, suggesting that it was no more important than the discussion of a commemorative coin for baseball and scolding the Congress for its failure to address the “more important” issue of job creation.

Health Care – The bishops will vote this week on whether to make the Task Force on Health Care into a permanent Subcommittee on Health Care Issues, which would report to the Committee on Doctrine. An odd placement, you think? Not really, when you consider the thorny issues on which the USCCB has spoken this year: Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, non-Catholic hospitals in Catholic healthcare systems, for-profit Catholic health care, canonical status of Catholic health care facilities, conscience protections for Catholic health care institutions and Catholic medical professionals, and health care reform. Under the broad umbrella of health care would fall the familiar issues of abortion, contraception, sterilization, euthanasia, transplants, and more.

The bishops will be addressed for the first time by Conference president Archbishop Timothy Dolan, and will also hear the first address by our new Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò. A private, bishops-only reception for the Nuncio, who arrived Saturday from Italy, is planned for Monday evening.

Other issues before the bishops this week have perhaps less razzle-dazzle, but are also important within the life of the Church:

■Elections – Elections of the USCCB secretary-elect, five chairmen-elect of committees, election of the chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace, and board members of the Catholic Relief Services.
■Financial Reports – Discussion and approval of the “Resolution on Diocesan Financial Reporting.” The resolution will call for yearly voluntary financial reporting by a diocesan bishop to the archbishop who heads his ecclesiastical province. The resolution respects the autonomy of the local bishop as he administers the material resources of his diocese, yet provides a vehicle for fraternal cooperation and support among all bishops of the province.
■New Texts for Blessing of the Oils – Following implementation of the New Roman Missal, changes are being proposed for the Blessing of the Oils for Catechumens, the Sick, and for Consecrating the Chrism.
■Optional Memorials – New optional memorials are being considered for the calendar of the Church in the United States: the Memorial of Blessed John Paul II (October 22) and the Memorial for Blessed Marianne Cope (January 23). If approved, these two memorials will be observed by the Church throughout the U.S.
■Priorities and Plans – The bishops will vote on three priority initiatives for 2013-2015.
■Reports – Formal reports will be submitted by:
■The Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth and the Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage
■Cardinal Daniel DiNardo on the work of Project Rachel, the post-abortion healing ministry
■Cardinal Donald Wuerl on Anglicanorum coetibus, the Vatican’s response to groups of Anglicans seeking full communion with the Catholic Church.
■Bishop Kevin Farrell on the proposed publication of the Committee on National Collections guidelines