How the bishops get things done

By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic

FORT LAUDERDALE | For America's bishops, the first half-week was like a leisurely stroll. On Thursday, it was more like speed skating.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, at their semiannual spring meeting, spent Monday to Wednesday debating and discussing a host of matters. By Thursday afternoon, they'd voted on a half-dozen of them -- approving most by overwhelming margins.

That efficiency grows out of prayer and shared spiritual values, in the view of Bishop Gerald Barbarito of Palm Beach.

"It's not a convention by IBM or some other company," said Bishop Barbarito, just before attending an afternoon session at the meeting site, the Marriott Harbor Beach Hotel. "It's a gathering of men who are dedicated to Christ and the Church. We have Mass and prayers."

In their first-ever meeting in the Archdiocese of Miami, the 300-member group conferred for a week, although all the meetings were closed except for general sessions mid-week. Wednesday's sessions were largely for reports and discussions. On Thursday, the bishops gave final approval on several items.

Those items included:

Updated language in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, building on a document first passed by the bishops in 2005.

A report on ministering to people of Asian and Pacific ethnic groups.

New translations for the Roman Missal and the Liturgy of the Hours for American churches.

Celebrations in the Liturgy of the Hours for saints John Paul II, John XXIII and Mary Magdalene.

Additional guidelines for Catholic health care services, saying that local bishops should be consulted in partnerships with institutions that don’t always share Catholic values.

New videos and a short introductory letter to supplement an existing document on "Forming Consciences for Christian Citizenship." The videos are meant to make the lengthy document more accessible to people in the pews.

The bishops' process blended tradition and technology. Following a strict parliamentary method -- even with one priest fielding questions on procedure -- it allowed a presentation, then discussion, then a call for a vote. Each question was projected onto two overhead screens.

Voters then had 45 seconds to enter their choices on wireless keypads they'd picked up at the door. After a few minutes, the results were displayed on the overhead screens.

All of the matters passed by wide margins. Only one -- on the supplemental materials for citizenship -- was the subject of lengthy discussion. Several bishops thought the materials should include more references to current matters like immigration, gun control and the environment. But a motion to table the vote failed, and the bishops approved the measure -- by a decisive though not overwhelming 144 to 41, with 2 bishops abstaining.

The USCCB agenda also included project reports and updates that didn’t require votes.

Racism got double scrutiny, first in a talk by Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. Citing acts like lynching and discriminatory sentencing, Stevenson called for a less "celebratory" look at civil rights in America.

"We need to change the narrative," Stevenson said. "It concerns me that this isn't a hot topic for a school campaign or for election week."

Following Stevenson was a report by Bishop Sheldon J. Fabre, chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism. The bishop said his Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism was studying how native Americans and Hispanics, as well as African Americans, were affected by bigotry. He also said his group was examining how racism affects American institutions.

Bishop Fabre said the committee was guided by two religious principles. The belief that humans are created in the image of God, and the Old Testament command to "Do justice, love goodness and walk humbly with God."

On religious liberty, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz reported on plans for Religious Freedom Week, set for June 22-29. His committee, initially ad hoc but made permanent last year, is producing eight videos on "conscience protection" and the right to serve in places like clinics without giving up "the integrity of their faith."

Archbishop Kurtz said the committee also aims to shift public conversation away from religious rights toward "inspiring society to look at the dignity of the human person."

As the week winds down, the bishops have more spiritual activities for today. The schedule calls for morning prayers, individual Eucharistic celebrations, and a concelebrated Mass with Exposition. There's even an hour and a half for confessions.

Despite the array of ballots, topics, addresses and debates, the bishops were actually taking a more relaxed pace than they set for their fall meetings, said Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. He said the spring sessions allow for more questions and discussions.

"You get to concentrate more on themes," he said. "We see this as moments of grace, as a mountaintop experience."