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Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York Baltimore, Md., Nov 16, 2010 / 02:17 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A well-known Church analyst says the election of Archbishop Timothy Dolan as president of the U.S. bishops' conference is a confirmation that the bishops want a strong, outspoken leader to guide the Church in an increasingly polarized and secular culture. Few experts would have predicted that Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York would be chosen as president of the U.S. bishops' conference. He won the election in a close run-off with Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, the previous vice president of the conference....

In a surprising and historic turn of events, the Bishops of the United States, gathered in Baltimore, Maryland for their annual meeting, broke with the "custom" of the past, of electing the seated Vice president to succeed Francis cardinal George whose term has expired. Most pundits and ecclesial commentators strongly predicted Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson would be elected to succed Cardinal George on Tuesday, November 16, 2010. In response to what they considered a foregone conclusion, a portion of the Catholic blogosphere was preparing to respond with anything but glowing acclamation. Then, a surprise of the Holy Spirit occurred,...

For the first time in the history of the US bishops, a vice-president standing for the presidency has been denied the top post, losing a stunning election to the archbishop of New York. By a 128-111 vote, Archbishop Timothy Dolan bested Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson on the third ballot at this morning's elections in Baltimore. Overturning a half-century of tradition for the bench, the result represents a seismic shift for the leadership of the nation's largest religious body, and a mandate for a continuance of the outspoken, high-profile leadership shown by Cardinal Francis George over his game-changing term at...

  

Update: See follow up National Catholic Register article, Bishop Kicanas Responds  See also I'm thinking of a word that begins with H by By Diogenes Commentary by Thomas Peters, AmericanPapist.comNovember 12, 2010 (CatholicVote.org) - On the whole, it has been a good couple of years for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).Leading up to the election of President Obama, many bishops, on their own authority, issued letters to Catholics in their diocese, helping them to form a Catholic conscience when voting.After President Obama was invited to deliver the commencement address at Notre Dame, almost 120 bishops issued statements critical...

I don't think much of the bureaucracy known as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In fact, some days I think it should simply be disbanded. True reform, in my view, is not likely any time soon, if ever. But I'm a realist. I know the USCCB will continue to exist. I know the corruption will continue. I know the pain will continue. It just...is. That being the case, I hope Bishop Gerald Kicanas will not be the next president of the USCCB. Why? Catholic journalist Tim Drake has a good overview of the situation on his blog. The...

Priest says it is insulting for grantees to be asked whether they advocate for abortion or same-sex “marriage” CHICAGO, Illinois, November 11, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Facing pressure from the old guard at the local and national level, the Chicago branch of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has begun dismantling the “real reform” that earned it so much praise from pro-life groups in the summer.“Despite the attempts made by some well-intentioned individuals in the Archdiocese of Chicago's CCHD, the powers-that-be at the USCCB and some local bishops and priests have plans to return to the national CCHD's guidelines with this...

Bishop Gerald Kicanas and Cardinal Francis George. Washington D.C., Nov 9, 2010 / 07:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- At their annual fall assembly, the U.S. bishops will elect a new president, vote on a new ecumenical agreement on baptism and discuss the reform of its social justice-funding arm, which has come under fire for possibly funding pro-abortion and pro-gay groups.The annual Fall General Assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will be held Nov. 15-18, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel.The bishops’ current president, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, will be stepping down having completed his three-year term. The...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Reform CCHD Now (RCN) coalition (www.reformcchdnow.com) has released a report detailing multiple problems with the Coalition of Imokalee Workers (CIW), the first grantee featured in a document intended to outline the review and renewal of the controversial Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). “The very idea that the CCHD would praise CIW in a document that apologizes for funding pro-abortion, pro-homosexual organizations in the past and promises to make a stronger effort to avoid doing so in the future undermines their credibility,” said Michael Hichborn, lead researcher for RCN member American Life League. “If CCHD can’t...

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- When the U.S. bishops gather in Baltimore for their 2010 fall general assembly, there will be no blockbuster topics on their public agenda, unlike in past years when clergy sex abuse or the issue of Catholic politicians who support abortion took much of their attention. Instead, the Nov. 15-18 meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will be devoted primarily to internal matters -- the election of new conference leaders, discussion of how their own statements should be produced, budgetary and structural questions and information about how they can better integrate new media into diocesan structures....

"They discussed the pastoral responses of the churches to proselytizing efforts—the seeking of converts from members of other Christian communities—of certain Evangelical and Pentecostal groups both in the United States and in the countries where these churches originated." Be blessed. Bro Joe

Tuesday August 31, 2010 Missouri Diocese: Axe All Community Organizing Groups from CCHD By Kathleen GilbertKANSAS CITY, Missouri, August 31, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - As the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) prepares to receive a report on the controversial funding practices of their anti-poverty arm, one diocese has proposed a plan to cut off the group's shadier associations. The diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph also suggested in a Monday post on its Catholic Key blog that its plan to reform the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), which it has implemented on a local level, could be used as...

President Obama will be in New Orleans Saturday to remember the devastation of Hurricane Katrina five years after the storm roared ashore, but the location the White House has picked for his remarks is stirring an old controversy -- and it has nothing to do with storm or the rebuilding of the Gulf. Some Catholics don't agree with the fact that the president is being allowed to speak at Xavier University, a Catholic institution, because it is giving a platform to someone who is very publicly opposed to the teachings of the Catholic church. They argue that his positions on...

Thursday August 12, 2010 Cardinal DiNardo Presents ‘People of Life’ Awards to Three Honorees WASHINGTON, D.C., August 12, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston and as chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, presented the People of Life award to three individuals for their lifetime commitment to the pro-life movement at a ceremony in Houston August 9. Those honored were Professor William E. May, Msgr. Philip J. Reilly and Patricia Bainbridge. Over 85 diocesan pro-life directors from across the country attended the private awards dinner during the Secretariat of Pro-Life...

Cardinal Francis George and Archbishop Joseph Kurtz. Washington D.C., Aug 4, 2010 / 06:27 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- After U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker struck down California's Proposition 8 on Wednesday afternoon, Cardinal Francis George, president of the U.S. bishops' conference, and Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, the chairman of the bishops' Committee for the Defense of Marriage, described the ruling as a "misuse of law."Cardinal George stated, “Marriage between a man and a woman is the bedrock of any society. The misuse of law to change the nature of marriage undermines the common good.” “It is tragic that a federal judge...

Sr. Keehan and 60 progressive nuns claim abortion coverage is not in the Obama Health Reform Law, yet the Dept. of Health and Human Services released $160 million for emergency insurance to cover abortions ... UNDER the new law. So who is really to blame for this great expansion of abortion and birth control?

As part of a broad-based scheme, fraudulent Catholic organizations are blinding American faithful in preparation for an anti-Christ take-over of the political structure by advancing radical, liberal propaganda in conjunction with enemies of the Catholic Church. They began hatching their plot after being defeated in the 2004 elections. They have bounced back from that defeat and are scoring stunning victories. Watch this video and learn about the mastermind, atheist, mega-billionaire who wants to destroy America as part of his plan to usher in a new global order and how fake Catholic groups are essential to his scheme.

Last week, I called attention to what appeared to me an extraordinarily biased report over at the Catholic News Agency (CNA) regarding the bishops’ meeting in St. Petersburg. The report contained quotes from what the report said was Cardinal George’s speech to the bishops at a closed-door meeting. I wondered about the use of such quotation marks from a speech one was not present to hear, but figured they had gotten a leaked copy of the text. The CNA report claimed Cardinal George made disparaging remarks about Sr. Carol Keehan and the Catholic Health Association, lumping them with "other so-called...

In the months preceding the Obama administration’s Nuclear Posture Review, which reshaped the principles governing the size and purpose of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was busy at work. Its Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development issued various position papers urging the administration to drastically reduce the role and size of the arsenal. Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of Baltimore, previously Archbishop for the Military Services, took the message to venues ranging from a deterrence conference hosted by U.S. Strategic Command (the command responsible for nuclear-strike operations) to the Global Zero Summit in Paris. Bishop Howard...

Marxists have used the Catholic Church as a tool for ushering in their social revolution. The Church has always maintained, we are our brother’s keepers–Isn’t this the line the Left uses to send religious people on a guilt trip? While the Left has pulled the Church close to its bosom, they have at the same time slapped the Church in the face with policies of deconstruction of the family, advocacy for abortion and euthanasia, and support for gay marriage. In addition, the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) have joined the Left in opposing enforcement of laws regarding illegal aliens,...