mississippicatholic.com
NOVEMBER 22, 2024
With synod in mind, US bishops focus on advancing core mission priorities By Peter Jesserer Smith
BALTIMORE (OSV News) – The U.S. bishops’ annual fall assembly in Baltimore saw the shepherds of the Catholic Church in this country make intentional steps toward integrating their work with the synodal missionary style called for by the global church’s recently concluded Synod on Synodality. At the outset of the Nov. 11-14 plenary assembly, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, delivered a homily in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – “the mother church of the synodal activity of the hierarchy in this country” – where he called upon the bishops to beg for wisdom “because we recognize that we are servants of the truth and charged to find ways to help those entrusted to our care.” At the opening public session, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the papal ambassador to the U.S., told the bishops that Pope Francis’ recent encyclical “Dilexit Nos,” on the Sacred Heart of Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Va., speaks during a Nov. 13, 2024, Jesus, is a call to “return to the heart” session of the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishof Jesus – and key to understanding the ops in Baltimore. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller)
church’s call to synodal evangelization, Eucharistic revival and the upcoming Jubilee 2025. “The deeper we go into his heart, the more strengthened we will be to proclaim the Good News together,” he said Nov. 12. Over the course of the assembly’s Nov. 12 and 13 public sessions, the bishops voted to approve a new “mission directive” for 2025-2028, which commits USCCB committees and staff to prioritize in their work “evangelizing those who are religiously unaffiliated or disaffiliated from the Church, with special focus on young adults and the youth.” Regarding the global synod that concluded in October, a majority of the U.S. bishops in a voice vote Nov. 12 called for the USCCB’s Committee on Priorities and Plans to discern developing a task force to help the conference and dioceses implement the final synod document approved by Pope Francis. Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, who has led the USCCB’s involvement in the synod
– Continued on page 6 –
U.S. bishops: ‘We stand in firm solidarity’ with immigrants By Gina Christian
drawn by the promises this land offers, and they become Americans,” said the (OSV News) – With immigration an ongoing issue after the 2024 U.S. general bishops. “They continue to provide food security, health services, and many othelection, three U.S. Catholic bishops issued a Nov. 14 statement of pastoral con- er essential skills that support our prosperous nation.” According to data from the Pew Research Center, immigrants currently accern pledging support for immigrants. “Compelled by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and recognizing the inherent dig- count for 14.3% of the U.S. population – the highest level since 1910, but still less nity of each person as a child of God, we stand in firm solidarity with our im- than the 14.8% marked in 1890. Data for 2022 showed that the majority of immigrants (77%) are in the U.S. migrant brothers and sisters who live and labor in these United States,” wrote Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, legally, with close to half (49%) being naturalized citizens, just under a quarter president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El (24%) lawful permanent residents and 4% legal temporary residents. Slightly less Paso, Texas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration; and Bishop Jai- than one quarter (23%) are unauthorized. While President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to deport millions of unme Soto of Sacramento, chairman of the board for Catholic Legal Immigration documented immigrants, the bishops said in their statement that “our country Network Inc. Known as CLINIC, – Continued on page 6 – the network is a Maryland-based nonprofit INSIDE THIS WEEK that provides advocacy, training and support FOLLOW US for more than 400 Catholic and community-based immigration law providers in 49 U.S. states. The bishops noted that @jacksondiocese “from the founding of our nation, immigrants have DIGITAL EDITION been essential to this society’s growth and prosFrom the Archives 9 Youth 14 Sainthood 7 Text perity.” Legacy of Bishop R. O. Youth photos from around Profiles of six African MSCATHOLIC “They come to our shores as strangers, Gerow the diocese American candidates to 84576