Thread by @jdflynn

I am back for the Wednesday afternoon session of #USCCB18.

To be honest, I'm not sure what to expect this afternoon, and neither is anyone else I've spoken with. There are a few things it *seems* the bishops would want to do before executive session, but the printed agenda went out the window, so I don't know what the plan is.
#USCCB18

One thing to be sure of, there's a lot of meeting to go. Quoth Dynamite:

Cause we gon' rock this club
We gon' go all night
We gon' light it up
Like it's dynamite!

Cause it goes on and on and on
And it goes on and on and on

#USCCB18

A resolution is on the floor, proposed by +Boyea:

"Be it resolved that the bishops of the USCCCb encourage the Holy Father to release all the documentation that can be released consistent with canon and civil law regarding the misconduct of Archbishop McCormick."

+Cardinal Tobin points out the Holy See announced on Oct. 6 an investigation into its archives of McCarrick.

Here's our story on that:
catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-fran…

+Cozzens (aux of SPM) supports this motion, but suggests a letter to the Holy Father suggesting some action items the US bishops think they need, that could be developed in the next day. (idea first proposed yesterday by +Lucas.)

#USCCB18

+Checchio of Metuchen: Holy Father is committed to doing this already, so suggests an affirmation of what he is planning to do.
#USCCB18
In fact, US bishops affirmed the Vatican investigation on Oct. 8:

catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinal-…

+Checchio: it looks like we're asking him to do something he's already promised to do.

(NB from JD: the Holy See's investigation announcement promised to release its findings. The pending resolution asks not for findings, but for documentation.)

+Boyea: we don't want just conclusions. "We want them to release stuff."
Boyea does not support Checchio's proposed amendment.

+Cordileone: the key thing is "releasing" "all documentation." The Vatican's communique, he says, announced it would publish conclusions, not documentation.
#USCCB18

+Sample: I support +Boyea's resolution, I agree very much with it. "The issue is the transparency that our people are demanding." We've heard it from on this floor. The call to release all documentation that can be according to canon and civl law needs to be done.
#USCCB18

+Sample suggests resolution begins with "recognizing the ongoing investigation by the Holy See into the case of +McCarrick,...."
+Boyea accepts that amendment.
+Sample got an assist from +Soto on the language.
#USCCB18

+Boyea seconds the amendment.
#USCCB18

+@CardinalBCupich: I think we need to know 'what does that mean?'" What are the restrictions that canon and civil law set. Is the Holy See's Oct. 6 promise actually MORE expansive than what we asked for. "Is this not a more restrictive promise than what the Holy See has made?"

+Boyea: "We want the Holy See to know that we want something done." Holy See will determine what they can release. We want to express our viewpoint.
#USCCB18

+Christiansen of Boise: "To make it a little more urgent, I would add the word 'soon' somewhere in there."
proposes amendment that "as soon as possible" be added.
+Sample doesn't object.

+Boyea doesn't think the ASAP language is helpful.

NB: The parliamentarian must be working overtime. I think there are two open and cascading motions on the floor. But they are trying to work through it. They have to vote by machine to determine.

Bishops set to vote by machine on what amendments.
+Kurtz stands up and says "could the parlimentarian make comment on what we're doing?"
+Schnurr says bps have to vote on proposed amendments b4 they vote on motion. They're voting now.
#USCCB18

Amendment language narrowly passes.

New full text is likely to be put on the screen soon, and I'll get it to you.

#USCCB18

+Cordileone: what do we mean by release all documentation? I would like clarification.
+Boyea: "We are merely encouraging the Holy See. The Holy See is going to make that determination." Boyea seems to see the motion as symbolic, bishops seem to be concerned about details.

+Cupich: "we are going to be asked to vote on asking the Holy See to do what they're going to do?" There is already a pledge from them to be truthful.
"The successor of St. Peter has said he's going to be truthful about this. And it seems to me we need to take his word on it."

+Walkowiak of Grand Rapids wants amendment to say "allegations against" instead of "misconduct of." He says that McCarrick maintains his innocence.
+Boyea is ok with "allegations of misconduct"
+Walkowiak is ok with that.
Bishops will vote (eventually) on that.
#USCCB18

+Matano of Rochester: I support what Cardinal Cupich has said. The pope has promised to do this. It seems this is redundant.

+DiNardo can't hear Matano. Matano, who is short, jokes that mics are too high.
#USCCB18

+Biegler of Cheyenne: I understand the desires of the body of bps to respond to concerns coming from their ppl. However, there are times when we need to make decisions they won't like, b/c it's the right thing to do. The resolution, he says, it too ambigious.
#USCCB18

+Biegler says "this is a statement of distrust." "I just find this to be a very uninformed proposition."
#USCCB18

+Olson: "I think the entire motion is too subjunctive and vague...It appears like we're doing something when in fact we're not."

#USCCB18

+Soto: I support the motion. In making this statement we can support what we believe is the pope's intention to move forward boldly in a way that perhaps the Holy See has not been accustomed to in the past.
#USCCB18

+Levada: I want to speak against this resolution. This statement would not heal a perceived rift between bishops and the Holy See. I support Cardinal Tobin's suggestion that we release a statement of support for the Holy See's Oct. 6 announcement.
#USCCB18

+Broglio: People want to know not just about McCarrick's misconduct, but also about how he got to be an archbishop. It would take the Holy See a long time to gather those documents.
#USCCB18

+Kicanas: I think ppl know that we bishops have a sense of outrage about McCarrick, if they have been watching. I don't think this statement adds to that. I don't support it, there is an investigation going on at the Vatican already.
#USCCB18

+Murray: would it be reasonable to accept the Holy See's promise to release findings, but encourage them to do it more quickly? B/c the longer this drags out, the longer we get accused of covering up. It would be helpful to encourage them to move quickly. #USCCCB18

Regarding the ongoing investigation of the Holy See into the +McC, be it resolved that the bishops of the USCCB encourage the Holy See to release soon all documentation that can be released consistent with canon + civl law regarding the allegations of misconduct against +McC.

The motion failed 85-137, with three abstentions. The bishops decided not to encourage the Holy See to release soon all documentation that can be released regarding allegations against McCarrick.

The bishops decided by voice vote not to go into executive session at 4pm today.

Correction: I think the vote count was 83-137. I didn't have my glasses on. Still failed.

Bishops are now discussing the proposed code of conduct, the standards of episcopal conduct.
#USCCB18

+Biegler had proposed an amendment to the committee that would have talked about "values for episcopal conduct." The committee did not include it in the revised document. +Biegler is speaking now. +Tobin said it was seriously considered, but code should be direct + clear.

+Vigneron is now telling bishops about amendments proposed to the Exec Committee for the Special Commission for investigating misconduct bishops draft.
This is the proposed lay-led board that would investigate allegations against bps.
#USCCB18

+Vigneron says some bishops proposed that allegations be investigated by his metropolitan archbishop (and his review board) rather than the special commission. Policy makes strange allies: both +Cupich and +Chaput have supported some version of this idea.
#USCCB18

Vigneron says other amendments had to do with the initial proposal, and that all of that can be discussed, and that the entire deliberations will be considered by the task force established by +DiNardo.

+Cupich stands to explain that a proposed alternative draft he proffered, which has been circulated by the committee, has a few minor amendments to be made. These are typological or technical.
#USCCB18

+Vigneron tells +Cupich that the task force will work on all of these suggestions over the next few months.
+Cupich asks for Vigneron for some report from the task force by January, so +DiNardo can get feedback before Feb meeting.
+Vigneron response: "Thank you."
#USCCB18

+Soto rises to propose that bishop members should not be included in the lay-led investigative commission. He says the model of using the metropolitan is a good one, but the "train has left the station" and the commission is an expression of transparency.
#USCCB18

+Vigneron: Exec committee has continued the idea of having some clergy on the commission b/c that is understood to be typical on diocesan review boards.
#USCCB18

+Conlon: Our regional meeting this morning considered the idea of a free-standing metropolitan review board.
#USCCB18

+@BishopPaprocki: concerns about the metropolitan idea:
-McCarrick was a metropolitan. Our plan is to have metropolitans investigate things. That's a problem.
-If this system was in place, would seminarians feeling unsafe trust the senior suffragan bishop to stop McCarrick?

+Paprocki:
-the point of the special commission was that it was totally independent and not beholden to the Church or its structures.
-Would ppl feel encouraged that their concerns would be taken seriously and addressed by that system?
#USCCB18

+Paprocki:
-There are a number of questions about whether a suffragan could be objective and independent on evaluating and judging his metropolitan.
-also, what liability might the metropolitan (archbishop) or senior suffragan incur through this system?
#USCCB18

+Vigneron: we need expertise to look at the pros and cons of metropolitan proposal, and the points you raise are among the points.
#USCCB18

+Cozzens: Cupich proposal seems to have been done with a great deal of canonical expertise. Would like to ask Bp Deeley (chair of canon law comm) if a diocesan bp could tell people right now to report allegations to metropolitan.
+Deeley: "What we choose to do freely, we can do."

+Cozzens: Real concern of our people is the involvement of lay ppl. That is the essential piece we need to bring to the Holy See- the incredible value we receive from lay experts.
#USCCB18

+@BishopDeeley (chair of canon law committee) is now discussing proposed amendments to the document giving guidelines for situations where a bishop was removed or resigned for a grave cause.
#USCCB18

Deeley reminds that this document is a collection of pre-existing canon laws and principles, that give guidance to diocesan bishops for dealing with bishops who resigned or were removed for causes of a grave nature. He says all proposed amendments were accepted.
#USCCB18

+@ArchbishopHebda (who is also a canon lawyer, and whose predecessor resigned for a grave cause) It is not always clear why a bishop was removed or resigned. We don't always know the motivating factors.
#USCCB18

+Hebda: An investigation began in our diocese into a bishop who has since resigned, but that investigation is "kind of in suspension." We need to recognize that all three of these documents are really tied to one another.

+DiNardo: It's time for a break. We'll be back in 20 minutes.

We are back.
#USCCB18

Bishops are about to vote on a proposal to transfer the Diocese of Fairbanks from jurisdiction of the Cong. for the Evangelization of Peoples (Prop Fide) to the Cong. for Bishops.
#USCCB18

What does that mean, JD?
Good question. It's mostly housekeeping. Prop Fide oversees dioceses in "mission territory," a categorization that geographically contains a huge portion of the world geographically, but mostly places with low Catholic populations.
#USCCB18

"Prop Fide dioceses" interface with the Cong for the Prop Faith (now called Cong. for Evangelization of Ppls) as the primary point of contact at the Vatican. Other dioceses have Cong. for Bps as their primary point of Vatican contact.
(cont)

Fairbanks is, at the moment, the only US diocese at Prop Fide.
Traditionally, Prop Fide dioceses are financially destitute, and, these days they are mostly in the developing world. A few years ago, several Canadian dioceses moved from Prop Fide to the Cong. for Bishops.
#USCCB18

+Zelinski: 92% of the operating budget of the Diocese of Fairbanks comes from the lower 48 states. +Zelinski often does missionary appeals in the US, and many US dioceses have sent priests to Fairbanks for mission stints of a few months or a few years.
#USCCB18

Profile of Diocese of Fairbanks: 26 priests, 46 parish, 10k+ square miles. 80% of parishes are in villages below the poverty level, $5.3m annual budget.

+Etienne says transfer makes no formal demand to financially support DioFairbanks, but the Alaska dioceses need $ and priests.

167k ppl live in Diocese of Fairbanks. Roughly 11k Catholics.
#USCCB18

By unanimous voice vote, bishops support proposal to transfer Diocese of Fairbanks from Prop Fide to Cong. Bishops. Now +Zielinski will write letter to Rome petitioning.
#USCCB18

+Kurtz comes to mic to recognize 40th Anniversary of the Statement on Persons with Disabilities.
#USCCB18

+Kurtz is episcopal moderator of the National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities.

+Kurtz is a great advocate for disabled people. He had a beloved brother with Down syndrome. As the father of 2 children with Down syndrome, I know that Kurtz is extraordinarily good to disabled Catholics.
#USCCB18

Kurtz publicly recognizes Jan Benton, Executive Director of the NCPD. Jan will retire this year. She is know as an indefatigable advocate for disabled Catholics.

I am crying a little bit right now. Inclusion means more than you know to disabled ppl and their families.

#USCCB18

+@BishopCaggiano and +Chaput will give a report on the October synod of bishops on young people, the faith, and vocational discernment.

Caggiano is speaking about it.
#USCCB18

+Caggiano: 350 people at the synod.
DiNardo, Cupich Gomez, Skurla, Barron, Caggiano, and Chaput represented US, as well as 4 US auditors and staff ppl.

+@BishopCaggiano: 7 themes from the synod
-protect the vulnerable
-synodality, ecclesial listening, and docility to the Holy Spirit
-many young ppl live on periphery: Church must seek them + advocate for them.
-Church must engage young leaders
-Yng ppl need mentors

+@BishopCaggiano:
7 synod themes continued:
-expanded notion of vocation rooted in baptism and universal call to holiness.
-(I didn't hear the last theme!)
#USCCB18

+@BishopCaggiano:
-Bps encouraged to implement synod themes in their own diocese, and to form young people and mentors for young ppl, and USCCB should consider ways to increase youth and young adult involvement in bps' work.

Here's +Caggiano's intervention at the synod:
catholicnewsagency.com/news/caggiano-…

Here's an interview I did with +Caggiano at the synod:
catholicnewsagency.com/news/bridgepor…

+@BishopCaggiano: Synod came at the right time, was a moment of great grace, and demands continued work to implement it.
#USCCB18

+DiNardo, it was a great thing to have young people at they synod: they were "stimulating and interesting."
+Caggiano: "they were very demonstrative, I must confess."
#USCCB18

+Rosazza (retired auxiliary of Hartford): What was the average age of youth auditors?
+Caggiano and +DiNardo: mostly 20s and early 30s.
#USCCB18

+Vigneron: What struck you as similar for young people across the world, and different?
+Caggiano: The desire for spiritual mothers and fathers. "What was wildly diverse were the challenges they faced." +Cag mentions a young Indian Catholic recently martyred.

+Cag: also the desire to be listened to seemed to be consistent.

#USCCB18

+DiNardo: "I was also amazed at their desire for intense prayer life, devotional life, even beyond the liturgy. It was impressive."
#USCCB18

+DiNardo: we want to thank +Chaput who has been on the permanent council of the synod. (applause)
Chaput: +@CardinalJWTobin was just elected, along with Cardinal La Croix of Quebec to the permanent council.

#USCCB18

+Chaput says there was "little appetite" among many bps at the synod to discuss the sexual abuse crisis, but many North Americans and Australians "were very anxious to talk about it," but "we didn't get that much in the document."
#USCCB18

+Chaput: one of the most impressive parts of the synod is the fact that the Holy Father comes to everything, and participates in everything. He must have a great deal of patience, Chaput says.
#USCCB18

+@BishopCaggiano: the Holy Father arrived every day early and shook everyone's hand as they entered. For the young ppl, it was exhilarating to be that close to the successor of St. Peter.
#USCCB18

Now @ABishopGustavo and +Perez are giving a report on V Encuentro.

Here is an anthology of CNA's stellar reporting from V Encuentro:

catholicnewsagency.com/tags/national-…

V Encuentro:
2,494 delegates
124 bps

+@ABishopGustavo: Pope Francis called V Encuentro an "instrument of grace."

There were 140 news articles about it. Participants gave it high marks.

V Encuentro, if you're not familiar, was a national gathering of Hispanic Catholic leaders. It was the culmination of a process of prayer, discernment, and planning that began in parishes, then dioceses, then regions, then the national event.
#USCCB18

+Perez will share priorities and recommendations emerging from the consultation process that was V Encuentro. The whole thing aimed to identify a way to strengthen Hispanic ministry in the Church in the US.

#USCCB18

+Perez:- Encuentro calls for ecclesial integration, leadership formation for youths, family ministry, promotion of best practices, renewed advocacy and solidarity with immigrant families, interculturally competent leadership, family catechesis based on Scripture.
#USCCB18

+Perez-
3 initiatives have emerged:
- leadership program
-catechetical and parish leadership models based on Scripture and the cultural experiences of Catholics.
-platform for sharing best practices
#USCCB18

+Perez:
New resources will be made available, and there will be follow-ups. Stay tuned.
#USCCB18

+DiNardo congratulates +@BpOlsonFW, who hosted V Encuentro in his diocese.
#USCCB18

+Ricken: Was there much dialogue between results of the 2017 Convocation of Catholic Leaders and the V Encuentro, which had similar themes?
+@ABishopGustavo: Yes. Staff at USCCB worked at both, and there were connections. But Convocation was event, but Encuentro is a process.

+Soto: V Encuentro was great- thank you to staff, and the persistence of the whole process that began in parishes, and moved all the way to a culmination at the national level. Also compliments liturgies at V Encuentro- they were "vibrant and alive."
#USCCB18

+Soto: I hope that as we move forward, to demonstrate our commitment to what comes out of V Encuentro, the thinking and hopes of the V Encuentro can be incorporated into the strategic plan of the USCCB.

+Soto: One criticism- we spoke about family at V Encuentro, but we never acknowledged the problem among young Latinos that no one, or very few, are getting married. That is an "epidemic" in our community.
#USCCB18

+Rosazza: Encuentro was wonderful. It came at the right time. The affirmations that the participants gave bps was very encouraging.
+@ABishopGustavo: Relationships between bps and Hispanic families grew in a much deeper way through V Encuentro.
#USCCB18

+Elizondo (aux of Seattle):
We have awakened a sleeping giant. It's great that the resources will be put online and made available. We need to remember "assimilation no more, but integration."

(FYI- I have to step out for ten minutes at 5pm. I will have to suspend my live-tweeting. I am really sorry. Srsly- I feel bad. But I'll try to make it quick. And that's not for 8 more minutes.)

+Cardinal Tobin: A miracle took place last Feb in Nwk. Following diocesan encuentro, participants asked for a Mass, and the afternoon of the Mass, a huge storm came. More than 500 ppl came to the Mass anyway.
#USCCB18

+Tobin: V Encuentro is an example of synodality. And it underscores the importance of youth ministry.
#USCCB18

BRB.

I am back. Ppl are clapping. I don’t know why. I’ll figure it out.

Ok, I am fully back.
+DiNardo is getting started in his closing comments. Tomorrow the bishops will be in exec session.

+DiNardo: I started the meeting expressing disappointment. I am ending the meeting with some hope.
#USCCB18

+DiNardo: We the members of the USCCB pledge to Pope Francis our loyalty and devotion in these difficult days. I am sure that under the leadership of Pope Francis the Feb. meeting will take a serious step to eradicate sexual abuse in the life of the Church.
#USCCB18

+DiNardo: When the summer's news broke, we committed to three goals: to get to the bottom of McCarrick, make reporting easier, and to have some means of holding ourselves accountable with substantial lay involvement.
We are on course.

#USCCB18

+DiNardo. Task force will work on:
-reporting system.
-proposal for national review board for bishops, and a system involving metropolitans investigation allegations of misconduct against bishops.
-supporting the completion of the various investigations into McCarrick.
#USCCB18

+DiNardo: working with the Church in the world will make the global and US Church.

But our hope for real reform requires holiness.
If the Church is to reform herself and her structures then the reform must spring from her mission.

+DiNardo: we must recommit ourselves to holiness, and commend everything to the intercession of holiness.
Bishops pray together the Hail Mary.
#USCCB18

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

#USCCB18

That is the meeting, folks. The bishops will be in executive session tomorrow, which is closed to media. The press conference will start in ten minutes, and I will livetweet that. If there is a press conference tomorrow, I will live tweet that too.

Thanks for being here with me.

If you don't already, follow @cnalive for our continued coverage of this meeting, and the Church and the world- journalism from a perspective of faith.

JDF