The 2015 USCCB Plenary: A Preview | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: Neo-conservatism is a term of art having to do with your stance on Israel. MSW is neo-con (a liberal who believes in a strong middle eastern foreign policy coddling Israel). The term of art for these bishops is Reactionary. I have a strong suspicion that some of the reactionary stridency coming out of the conference is sourced by the staff. The fact that there has not been significant staff turnover is troubling indeed.
The fact that poverty did not make the list of current priorities is troubling, unless they are lumping that into human dignity and considering poverty a life issue. Somehow, I think not - I suspect they will be talking about defunding Planned Parenthood - at least in closed sessions. No wonder vocations are off (aside from the visible homophobia). Religious freedom is crypto-fascist for religious power - which they should get honest about (and will in the closed sessions) and sadly, family life is probably about continuing to damn divorced and remarried Catholics and fighting gay marriage - and the inevitable demand that priests bless them.
Faithful Citizenship has always been a tacit agreement to recognize the seemless garment of life - which the reactionaries immediately went back on as anti-abortion screed. The sad fact is that there is no one running this year who could shout down the bishops on abortion politics - how its not a legislative question unless you are talking about agreeing on when life begins and being willing to compromise at 13 weeks, with exceptions for the mother's life or a child who is doomed to die before birth - as well as the impossibility of overturning Roe. If you want to find out who is lying on this issue, see what they say about Roe. The environment, of course, won't make it into the document except tangentially, since the purpose is to deliver Catholic votes to the GOP. The USCCB staff knows this and not recognizing this is to where blinders. Same sex marriage, they will talk about - even though it is entirely out of the political process and therefore a non-issue (save for Catholic families demanding gay weddings for their kids).
On the committee appointments, for marriage and family life, anyone but Chaput. If he is elected then some retirements are in order. I am agnostic about the coin flips, but Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations seems a clear choice - again - no one from Denver - if Tobin is not elected there should also be some early retirements. On the General Secretary, I agree that anything that has conservative staff leave, rather than the moderates, would be a good thing. We need that kind of Francis effect.
While I like this Pope, I would argue that the mother of all Churches was the upper room and the house at Caphernum. All of Christianity is not Latin. We need to remember that the Latin Church is but a slice of Catholicism and the American Church is a smaller slice. Indeed, the best thing the American Church (meaning the people) could insist on is the abily to get rid of reactionary bishops where appropriate. Then you will see reform.
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