U.S. Catholic Bishops Elect Leaders for Anti-Abortion Fight
The U.S. Catholic Bishops are set to elect the new leaders of their dioceses that will advocate for their vision of reproductive rights and the sanctity of life.
This summer, the U.S. bishops are set to elect the new leaders of the 17 dioceses, three of which – Baltimore, Richmond-St. Louis and San Francisco – are run by clergy under Catholic bishops. The other 12 have bishops or Catholic lay leaders in their leadership.
“The work is well under way and there are signs of momentum for a comprehensive response,” said the Rev. Thomas Reese, editor of Catholic New.
In his editorial in the Nov. 28 edition of the Catholic New, Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Baltimore, urged the bishops to use the moment to take a more aggressive approach to advancing their values.
“It is imperative that the bishops lead this effort as fully as possible because the stakes are high,” he said. “Too often, political leaders have been unwilling to lead. The bishops must be bold.”
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has been a leader in the fight for reproductive rights and the sanctity of life for decades.
The USCCB established its committee devoted to reproductive rights and the sanctity of life in 1993.
“This new committee will focus on four key areas that are of critical importance to the bishops of the United States,” Bishop Thomas J. Byrne, chairman of the committee, said in a statement at the time. “First, to increase the number of Catholics who are vocal in their support of the teaching of the Catholic Church on the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. Second, to promote the dignity of life as a compelling objective of the family. Third, to use the force of Catholic teaching to advance the sanctity of life in all its dimensions, and to promote the dignity of persons with disabilities. Fourth, to work diligently to defend the Church’s moral teachings on economic life in the economic sphere.”
In 2004, bishops voted to approve the “Church and the Future of Life.” The document affirmed the right to life beginning at conception and ending at natural
