The meeting sought to understand the challenges transgender people face. It included discussions with transgender individuals, their families, theologians, medical professionals and church ministry workers.

The move came against the backdrop of increasing state-based legislation and Catholic diocesan policies that critics argue negatively affect transgender individuals.

The meeting was organised by New Ways Ministry, a Catholic LGBTQ advocacy group.

New Ways Ministry, co-founded in 1977 by Loretto Sr Jeannine Gramick, has been at the forefront of advocacy for LGBTQ Catholics, despite facing historical opposition from the Vatican.

A step toward understanding

The day-and-a-half-long event, closed to both the public and press, sought to equip bishops with insights that would assist in enhancing pastoral care within their dioceses.

According to participants, the initiative reflects the varied reception and treatment of transgender individuals across Catholic dioceses and parishes nationwide.

Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, Kentucky highlighted the consensus among attendees about the legitimacy of transgender experiences.

"After hearing from medical experts and from transgender people, we are not talking about something that is fabricated. People have a right to be called as they wish to be called" he said.

Engaging in dialogue

The meeting, attended by some 40 individuals, marks a significant moment of engagement between church leaders and the LGBTQ community.

"We've all encountered pastoral situations related to transgender persons and for the most part felt inadequately prepared to deal with them" Stowe noted, underscoring the bishops' eagerness to attend and learn.

This gathering is the second of its kind following a previous event in January 2023 that focused on LGBTQ issues more broadly.

Moving forward

Participants shared their stories and experiences at the meeting, providing a platform for open and heartfelt dialogue.

Dominican Fr Charles Bouchard, a previous attendee, lauded the meetings as a "safe space" for bishops to discuss and explore these complex issues candidly.

While the meeting did not aim to produce a unified statement or theological plan, it represents a significant step in the church's ongoing efforts to engage more inclusively with LGBTQ individuals.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops continues to revise its ethical directives for Catholic health care institutions, with expectations to align closely with doctrinal stances on gender-affirming treatments.

Source

• NCR

In an address the day before he was elevated to the College of Cardinals, Pierre says it is difficult for Catholics to claim allegiance to the pope while openly criticising the incumbent.

Pierre's reminder always to listen to the Pope comes against the background of the Church in the US, which is said to be divided, and some of the country's bishops are openly criticising Pope Francis.

While Pierre did not mention names, it is said his comments alluded to the controversial case of Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, who has accused Pope Francis of undermining the Deposit of Faith.

"The pope is not an idea.

"Some people say, 'I am with the pope, but not with this one.' And they are mistaken. The pope is a real person" declared Cardinal Pierre, Pope Francis' ambassador to the United States.

He emphasised that when the Lord chose Peter, He chose an individual, not an abstract concept, to build His church upon.

Pope understands the US church "very well"

Pierre, originally from France, has been a seasoned Vatican diplomat and was appointed as the apostolic nuncio to the United States by Pope Francis in 2016. His mission has largely focused on encouraging the US hierarchy to embrace Pope Francis' reforms and revitalise the Synod of Bishops.

Critics have claimed Pope Francis doesn't fully understand the Catholic Church in the United States due to his Latin American background. However, Pierre countered, stating "My experience is that Pope Francis understands very well the US church.

"It's good that we have a pope that makes provocations, because this is a real pope," he added.

Despite occasional tensions between Pope Francis and the US episcopacy, Cardinal Pierre urged a spirit of dialogue and unity, emphasising that "the pope is the pope, and bishops should always listen to the pope."

Pierre advised those who struggle to embrace the pope's priorities, saying "If the pope says something, don't criticise him. Make an examination of conscience."

21 new Cardinals

On Saturday, Francis elevated 21 new prelates from 15 countries.

In adding them to the College of Cardinals Francis said they should resemble a symphony orchestra: diverse and with a wide range of contributions, but always working toward harmony.

"A symphony thrives on the skilful composition of the timbres of different instruments: each one makes its contribution, sometimes alone, sometimes united with someone else, sometimes with the whole ensemble," said Francis at the ceremony.

"Diversity is necessary; it is indispensable. However, each sound must contribute to the common design."

Sources

National Catholic Reporter

National Catholic Reporter

CathNews New Zealand

In an ideal world, not only would the Vatican have less say in choosing bishops, but priests and laity would have a larger role in the selection of their leaders.

However, unless the institutional church actually reaches that goal, and power truly devolves to the grassroots, giving more autonomy to Catholic bishops might make things worse, not better, at least for progressive Catholics.

While Pope Francis's appointments of often have elevated reformers to power, he cannot replace every powerful leader in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

And the bishops now leading U.S. Catholics skew conservative.

Indeed, in 2014, one bishop speaking on background confided that only about a third of American bishops were totally on board with Francis's agenda, about a quarter were definitely against, and the rest were still figuring out where they stood.

Not much appears to have changed in the intervening years.

Consider, for example, Pope Francis's approach to divorced and remarried Catholics who wish to practice their faith. The pope suggested that such Catholics, in certain circumstances, could receive Communion.

In Germany, Argentina and Malta, Catholic bishops followed the pope's advice. That did not happen here.

Like Nun on the Bus Sister Simone Campbell, I don't expect the bishops "to get a brain transplant."

They largely are old and white and set in their doctrinal ways. But I did expect U.S. bishops to have a sense of balance about the issues they take on. Yes, we get it.

We know that bishops oppose same-sex marriage, contraception and abortion. But surely, they could agree with the pope that other issues are just as, if not more, important? Continue reading

• Celia Viggo Wexler is the author of Catholic Women Confront Their Church: Stories of Hurt and Hope (Rowman & Littlefield).

"Evidence continues to point toward significant damaging impacts from climate related events in the United States, across the globe, and particularly for the poorest developing countries," said Bishop Stephen Blaire, who chairs the bishops' committee on domestic justice and human development.

He was responding on behalf of the bishops to a request from a Congressional task force on climate change.

"As pastors and people of faith, we are not experts on the science, technical remedies and particular provisions of legislation or regulatory measures to address climate change," Bishop Blaire said. "Our efforts seek to link care for creation and care for ‘the least of these'."

The bishops asked the Congress and federal government to consider these principles:

+ Prudence requires us to act to protect the common good by addressing climate change at home and abroad.

+ The consequences of climate change will be borne by the world's most vulnerable people and inaction will worsen their suffering.

+ Policies addressing global climate change should enhance rather than diminish the economic situation of people in poverty.

+ Policies should create new resources to assist poor and adversely affected communities to adapt and respond to the effects of global climate change in the US and in vulnerable developing countries.

+ Policies to address climate change should include measures to protect poor and vulnerable communities from the health impacts of climate change, including increased exposure to climate-sensitive diseases, heat waves and diminished air quality.

+ Participation by local affected communities in shaping policy responses to address climate change and programmes for adapting to climate change is essential.

+ Technology should be made available to people in the most vulnerable developing countries to help them adapt to the effects of climate change (adaptation) and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation).

Source:

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Image: The Guardian

Day, who died in 1980, established with Peter Maurin the non-violent, pacifist Catholic Worker movement, which claims more than 200 autonomous communities providing social services in many countries, including New Zealand.

The endorsement by the US bishops took place during their annual general assembly in Baltimore. The bishop promoting her cause is Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, the president of the bishops' conference.

Cardinal Dolan called the journey of Day's life "Augustinian", saying that "she was the first to admit it: sexual immorality, there was a religious search, there was a pregnancy out of wedlock, and an abortion. Like Saul on the way to Damascus, she was radically changed." He said she has become "a saint for our time".

"Of all the people we need to reach out to, all the people that are hard to get at, the street people, the ones who are on drugs, the ones who have had abortions, she was one of them," said Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, the retired archbishop of Washington.

"What a tremendous opportunity to say to them you can not only be brought back into society, you can not only be brought back into the church, you can be a saint!"

Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, said: "She was a very great personal friend to me when I was a young priest. To be able to stand here and say yes to this means a great deal to me."

Source:

Catholic News Service

Image: Georgetown University

"The Catholic bishops of the United States offer our prayers that God will give you strength and wisdom to meeting the difficult challenges that face America," wrote Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York.

"In particular, we pray that you will exercise your office to pursue the common good, especially in care of the most vulnerable among us, including the unborn, the poor, and the immigrant."

Over the past year the bishops have opposed the Obama administration particularly over a Department of Health and Human Services mandate requiring coverage of contraceptive services in health insurance plans. They portrayed this as infringing the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom.

The importance of religious freedom was also emphasised in Pope Benedict XVI's message to President Obama. The Pope also said he hoped the American founding ideals of freedom and justice would hold a prominent place in the nation's future.

According to exit polls conducted by CNN, 50 per cent of voters who identified themselves as Catholics voted for Obama, and 48 per cent for his Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

Protestant voters were heavily in favour of Romney, with 57 per cent choosing the Republican and only 42 per cent voting for Obama.

Among voters who said they had no religious affiliation, Obama was the overwhelming favorite, with a 70-26 per cent advantage.

The chairman of the Catholic bishops' subcommittee to defend marriage, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, said election day was a disappointing one for marriage.

Voters in Maine and Maryland approved measures legalising same-sex marriage, and a similar measure appeared likely to pass in Washington state. Minnesotan voters rejected an amendment to define marriage as only between a man and woman.

Maryland and Washington voters upheld laws permitting same-sex marriage that were passed earlier in the year.

Sources:

National Catholic Register

CNN

National Catholic Reporter

Catholic News Service

Image: Straits Times

One of the contested policy issues is Obama's 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA). Many of the US Catholic Bishops have been critical of this law on the ground that it might contribute to even more abortions in the US.

The Catholic religious orders which conduct health facilities are broadly supportive of the law because it would extend basic healthcare to millions of Americans otherwise deprived a basic right. The US Supreme Court is yet to determine the constitutionality of the law.

On 15 February 2012, the US Administration published draft regulations as a follow-up to the ACA. The legislative regime mandates three actions: each person must take out insurance; each employer must provide health cover; and every health plan must include preventive health measures including access to contraception, sterilisation and abortifacients.

Preventive health measures are mandated so as to reduce long term the overall costs of health care. Religious employers who have religious objections to such preventive health measures would be exempt.

On 14 March, the Administrative Committee of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops declared the exemption for religious employers was too restrictive in part because it would apply only to employers who hired and served those primarily of their own faith. But what about Church institutions responding to the gospel imperative to provide health, education or welfare to persons of all faiths and none, employing persons of all faiths and none?

The bishops said, 'We will continue to accept any invitation to dialogue with the Executive Branch to protect the religious freedom that is rightly ours.'

Feeling the heat from the bishops, the Obama Administration a week later issued 'a request for comments in advance of proposed rulemaking on the potential means of accommodating such organisations while ensuring contraceptive coverage for plan participants and beneficiaries covered under their plans (or, in the case of student health insurance plans, student enrollees and their dependents) without cost sharing'. Continue reading

Sources

• Fr Frank Brennan in Eureka Street
• Image: Homepage Daily

Dealing with U.S. women religious, these bishops' actions appear governed more by a desire to enforce obedience than to develop fidelity in our sisters.

Catholics see through this guise. They are upset, fed up with the likes of this behavior. They are speaking out. Soon they will be on the streets making their voices heard. You can count on it.

What the bully bishops claim to be matters of orthodoxy are really matters of pastoral style. They are the results of an unwillingness among our bishops to enter into sincere and mutually repectful dialogue with the women. None of the issues at hand has anything to do with the Creed. They stem from the actions of a small group of misdirected and fearful men determined to take catholic out of Catholic while judging, silencing and demeaning those who stand in their way.

Most of our bishops are not part of this clique. Most find themselves in near-impossible situations, part of a culture that demands they accede, at least publicly, to these abusive actions, knowing full well they are draining life and spirit out of the very women — these exemplary, faithful women — who sustain their diocesan and parish communities.

Against the best interests of their local churches, our bishops keep their silence, cognizant that if they speak up in support of the sisters, they will be removed from their positions, as have other bishops who have spoken out against the bullying.

This is an especially difficult time for Catholics who recognize the need and place for legitimate church authority in a world in need of Gospel guidance. Catholics and others cannot help but see the episcopal attacks on our sisters in the context of decades of sexual abuse cover-up. Why, they ask, point the finger at the women when the times demand deep critical self-introspection? Continue reading

Sources

• Thomas C Fox in National Catholic Reporter
• Image: The Guardian

When the U.S. bishops came out so strongly against the new government rules regarding contraceptives and health insurance, they said the issue was one of religious freedom.

And I believed them.

When the bishops argued that it was not the administration's place to decide whether Catholic hospitals or colleges fit the "faith mission" exception to the insurance rule, it made sense to me.

And I believed them.

I thought the bishops were trying to make an argument apart from the politics of the moment, separate from the polarizing stances they have so often taken in the last few years, stances that had placed them in league with odd allies from the far right.

I feel like an idiot.

After the Obama administration announced adjustments to the contraception rule that would remove the church from directly having to pay for contraceptive coverage in health plans, many Catholics responded with relief, including Catholic Charities and the Catholic Health Association. The bishops' objections seemed understood, and the public at large was not denied access.

But the bishops were not to be denied a wedge issue. After initially sounding open to the compromise, they soon came down firmly against something that was just not good enough. The bishops now say they will throw their support behind a Republican-sponsored bill in Congress that would exempt any individual insurance provider or purchaser from any mandate that doesn't mesh with their religious beliefs. It is yet another not-so-subtle attempt to essentially gut the health care reform law.

And now the story has entered into absurdity, a land often explored when the bishops find themselves all puffed up on matters of sexuality and gender. Read more

Sources

• Joe Ferullo in the National Catholic Reporter
• Image: Reuters

The slogan picks up on a long-standing evangelical Christian theme: the idea that government policies on a broad range of issues - including abortion and contraception, same-sex marriage, sex education in schools, and even anti-bullying programs that defend gay students - amount to un-American religious coercion. With the bishops' new "liberty'' initiative, the political partnership between the Catholic hierarchy and the largely Protestant religious right is more solid than ever.

It is no surprise that today's Catholic bishops are lining up with Republican aspirants for the White House. After all, these bishops were vociferous in objecting to President Obama's being honored at the University of Notre Dame in 2009; they worked against Obama's signature health care reform in 2010 (and might have succeeded if the Catholic Health Association's endorsement had not given swing-vote Catholic lawmakers cover to support the bill). In September, key bishops denounced federal regulations about the provision of contraception as "a radically new and unprecedented attack on religious freedom.'' This month, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, the conference president, warned the Obama administration that its refusal to stand behind the Defense of Marriage Act would "precipitate a national conflict between church and state of enormous proportions.''

But Catholic participation in this extremist counter-culture is uniquely risky. The Roman Catholic Church is the largest nongovernmental organization in the world, carrying out tremendous works of charity and justice across the globe. In the United States, church agencies like Catholic Charities, and institutions like hospitals and schools, are essential to the common good. A narrowly politicized American episcopate can gravely weaken the integrity of such outreach. Read more

• Source: The Boston Globe
• Image: Canterbury Tales