National Catholic Reporter is reporting that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has disbanded an unprecedented special committee set up to handle relations with the Biden Administration. Christopher White has the story:
Less than three months after the formation of a controversial working group to deal with President Joe Biden, the nation's Catholic bishops have disbanded the group, which produced a public rupture among the U.S. hierarchy in its approach toward the nation's second Catholic president.
According to two bishops familiar with the process, the work of the group is now complete and the group's proposal to produce a document on the question of Communion will be addressed by the U.S. bishops' Committee on Doctrine.
Chieko Noguchi, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, declined to comment.
How the decision to disband came about, who made the decision, and whether the Holy See had any input into the decision, is not reported in White's story. But it seems a fair guess that the manifest division among American bishops regarding the proper stance toward the pro-choice Catholic president's administration hasn't been resolved.
<<"[Biden takes the stance that he is] personally opposing abortion, while doing everything within his power to promote and institutionalize abortion not only in the USA but also around the world," said Naumann, who is archbishop of Kansas City, Kansas.>>
ReplyDeleteThis is somewhat jumped-up rhetoric if you ask me. "Doing everything in his power" would suggest that Biden is out there introducing pro-choice bills, marching in pro-choice parades, and demanding that countries with abortion restrictions or bans change their laws to qualify for foreign aid, favored nation status, or other perks.
I expect Good Catholics to take exception with Biden's stance on abortion, to vote against him, and for Catholic priests to think twice about giving him Communion.
But I think Naumann's characterization is slightly over the top.
Not sure what the dissolution of the Committee on the Biden Problem of Communion and Abortion (or whatever it was called) actually means. Is this going to work for or against Biden?
Personally, I don't think it means anything for Biden. The bishops never were going to agree with him on the cluster of issues around abortion and conscience protections. That will continue to be true, whether or not there is a committee.
DeleteThis will force the USCCB to deal with their divisions.
At the same time, there should be many areas (immigration, the environment and climate change, COVID-19 and health care, and other important issues) on which the Biden Administration and the bishops presumably are in agreement, and on which they can help each other. But I don't think the working group was expected to work on those issues - at least I hadn't heard that it would.
I agree that Naumann's characterization is over the top. But also that it is no surprise. In reading through Christopher White's article, it is obvious that the US bishops are far from being of one mind on the subject, and are likely to stay that way. So I don't look for a document to come out any time soon. Which is fine with me.
DeleteEveryone has heard my views on the subject, so I won't belabor them (until the next time I feel like doing it). But how about this; if someone is in an actual state of mortal sin, then it's on them to get right with God before receiving Communion. The bishops aren't inside their head to be able to judge the state of their soul.
Seems like Cupich had a lot of procedural objections to the way things were done. The 'working group', the lack of consultation with the administrative committee, that Gomes then issued it in his own name, and everything being done too quickly.
ReplyDeleteWhile I don't think the bishops who want to confront Biden on the communion issue have backed off (their draft is being sent to the doctrinal committee) everything is being put into the slow motion of the bureaucracy.
Francis has always wanted the bishops to get their act together. That is why he demanded they have a retreat together, and sent them his own preacher as retreat master, a guy he later made an "honorary Cardinal."
They are really in a bad way with the Pope, especially since he will likely replace the Apostolic Delegate within a year because he has to submit his resignation because of age. Rocco speculates the next Apostolic Delegate may come from Africa (he just recently appointed an African as AD to Ireland!). Since the AD oversees the process of new bishops (including auxiliary bishops) the bishops really don't want to get on the wrong side of the Apostolic Delegate.
"I expect Good Catholics to take exception with Biden's stance on abortion, to vote against him, and for Catholic priests to think twice about giving him Communion."
ReplyDeleteMost of the "good Catholics" (a dying breed) that I know will not vote against Biden because of the fact that he governs as president of ALL the US, not just the Catholics.