Staff Reports
During the fall meeting of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which took place in Baltimore from November 14 to 17, the majority of the bishops who were pro-Francis were defeated by those who were against the pontiff.
Timothy Broglio, who was appointed as the new president of the USCCB, is a career diplomat in the Vatican. He served as the head of the Military Services of the Holy See from 2007 to 2011. He was closely associated with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who was the Vatican's secretary of state from 1990 to 2001. During his time in Rome, Broglio was known to have been close to the infamous sexual abuser Cardinal Maurice Maciel.
During his time in the Vatican, Broglio supported religious opposition to the use of the COVID-19 vaccine. He also blamed the sexual abuse crisis on homosexuality. Despite the transparency of the Synod on Synodality, the US's Military Services Church is one of the few that doesn't publicize a synthesis of the document.
All of the bishops were on the right side of the aisle during the meeting, which was focused on the synodality. However, moderate candidates were defeated by the culture warriors.
The bishops were also briefed about the plans for the National Eucharistic Congress, which will be held in Indianapolis in 2024. During the meeting, they discussed the various aspects of the event and decided not to update the voters' manual.
The time spent on these topics was far greater than the time that the bishops were able to spend with the sick, the homeless, and the dead. The church is called to care for these people.
During one of the sessions, a survivor of sexual abuse delivered a powerful speech. The bishops also discussed the upcoming synod, which will be conducted through a Zoom process exclusively chosen by the members of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
According to the chairman of the committee that handles migration, the bishops' refugee and migration services helped resettle over a thousand Afghan refugees.
Donna Markham, the CEO of Catholic Charities USA, made an emphatic statement about the church's commitment to Christian charity. She said that the organization, which has over 170 agencies and serves over 15 million people annually, has been able to respond effectively to the needs of those living in the margins of society.
According to her, only a small portion of Catholic Charities' budget comes from the annual collection of the USCCB. The other 5% is derived from the dues of its member agencies.
The powerful testimony of a woman highlighted the issues that the bishops are facing.
A decade ago, a group of priests approved a set of rules aimed at protecting children. However, at the time, only one bishop was held accountable for his actions. Since then, shocking statistics about the sexual abuse by priests have been revealed in various states.
Despite the importance of safeguarding children, it's also not the only element of the church's strategy. In addition to priests, seminarians will continue to produce other individuals who preach politics instead of the Gospel.
Many Catholics are leaving the church due to the lack of answers regarding the USCCB. This is why so many people have left the organization.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on The Daily Cable.
