The Meeting of US bishops in Baltimore, 14-16 November
Evangelization, the family and marriage, human life and dignity, vocations and continuing education, as well as religious freedom are the priorities for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), which will meet in Baltimore for its autumn General Assembly, from 14 to 16 November. The bishops—reports the Fides Press Agency—will discuss and vote the Conference‘s Strategic Plan for the years 2017-2020, based on the five priorities approved last November. These priorities are: Evangelization: Open wide the doors to Christ through missionary discipleship and personal encounter; Family and marriage: Encourage and heal families; inspire Catholics to embrace the sacrament of matrimony; Human life and dignity: Uphold the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death with special concern for the poor and vulnerable; Vocations and ongoing formation: Encourage vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, and provide meaningful ongoing formation to clergy, religious and lay ministers; Religious freedom: Promote and defend the freedom to serve, witness and worship, in the U.S. and abroad.
During the meeting, several reports will also be given including an update from the USCCB Task Force to Promote Peace in Our Communities. The recent violence in several US cities has provoked strong reactions in intellectual, political, and religious circles: a phenomenon that the Catholic Bishops intend to discuss in order to give the faithful guidelines for ensuring social peace in their cities.