Has anyone heard anything about a regional council (plenary council) being proposed in North America)?

This would be something seperate from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

I personally think it would be a great idea to bring all the Bishops together for progressive discussions.

Any thoughts?

God Bless,

-- john placette (jplacette@catholic.org), June 23, 2003

Answers

Jmj
Hi, John P.

As you may know the full body of bishops of the United States, now known as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops [USCCB] -- formerly the National Conference of Catholic Bishops [NCCB] -- meets twice a year, in June and November. They meet for about three or four days to accomplish various tasks (e.g., liturgical, disciplinary, pastoral).

After the long-mostly-hidden homosexual-priest scandal broke into public view early in 2002, the bishops' conference's next meeting (in Dallas) became the best-known meeting ever held. I believe that it was at, or soon after, that meeting that a group of about ten bishops publicly suggested that it would be wise for the bishops to call a "plenary council" -- the first in more than a century -- to discuss and act upon some very serious matters affecting the life of the Church and its people in the U.S..

This council would not be like a semi-yearly USCCB meeting, but rather something bigger, longer, and even more important. Although the people with true power (e.g., the power to vote) would be the bishops alone, there would be many other people in attendance and speaking -- folks who are not present at USCCB meetings.

Since the plenary council was suggested, only some deliberation and planning has occurred, with no date or place having been made public (to my knowledge). I think that the bishops talked about the council behind closed doors in their last two meetings (November, 2002, and June, 2003 [last week]). Here is a brief, November article about the council (found at the USCCB Internet site).

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), June 23, 2003.

Thanks John

-- john placette (jplacette@catholic.org), June 24, 2003.