HMMMMM!!!!! I Wonder If Papa Benedetto Had This Week's USCCB Gathering In Mind When He Said This?

While maybe not directly, I suspect that he did have it in the back of his mind. & I am sure he is very aware of some of the things that have been going on here in the USA with various documents put out by the USCCB that haven't been as clear as they should.

In particular I am refering to those on Faithful Citizenship & how some Bishops have hid behind them to keep from speaking out strongly about Pro-abort politicians or even voting Pro-Life. Or what happenned a couple years ago when Bishop Martino (then Bishop of Scranton) showed up at a meeting & made it clear that he was the final voice, not a USCCB document when it came to Church teaching. In this case it was a group of dissidents using the USCCB document Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship to justify voting for Pro-aborts over Pro-life candidates. (Technically, Legally & Especially Morally, He IS Right) Or he could be thinking in particular about Bishop Vasa's recent comments on the USCCB. (Bishop Vasa - Putting the USCCB In Proper Perspective)

I am sure Papa Benedetto is aware that the USCCB is at it again this week in Baltimore.

& while there are no "teaching documents" up for debate this year the item on "The request of the Pro-Life Activities Committee to begin drafting a brief policy statement against physician assisted suicide." still has me scratching my head as the why the need. As I said yesterday, Church teaching on that is pretty clear. Why the need for a policy statement? This is 1 area where every Bishop should be standing up & speaking loud & clear, not waiting for a document to hide behind. Note: This is not to say that some Bishops haven't done so, there are several who have spoken clearly on this topic. But this is not something they need to wait for a policy statement on.

Anyhow, without downplaying the need for the Brazilian Bishops to hear this, I think most of the US Bishops would do well to heed what Papa Benedetto is saying as well.

As an aside: IMHO, even though he retired for health reasons, I think Papa Benedetto left out 1 person from the list of new Cardinals who deserved the red hat, Bishop Martino. (Give That Bishop A Red Hat)

Pope: Bishops’ conferences should serve bishops not replace them

Vatican City, Nov 15, 2010 / 07:18 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- A national conference of Catholic bishops exists so that pastors of the Church might "share the fatigue of their labors." But, according to Pope Benedict XVI, those national conferences can never substitute for an individual bishop's authority and duty to guide his people.
The Pope turned a Nov. 15 address to a group of bishops from Brazil into a lesson on the function of the bishops' conference.
The Catholic bishops of the world are divided into bishops' conferences depending on their geographic locations and language groups. For example, the more than 400 bishops of the United States, form the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; the English and Welsh bishops are combined into a single bishops' conference.
Since the Second Vatican Council (1963-1965), some critics have argued that bishops' conferences have assumed too much influence in the lives of local churches and in some cases have diminished the authority of local bishops.
In his address, Pope Benedict reminded the Brazilian Church leaders that “the counselors and structures of the episcopal conference exist to serve the bishops, not to replace them.”
The bishops' organization is meant to allow for "the joint and harmonious exercise of certain pastoral functions, for the good of the faithful and of all the citizens of a particular territory," the Pope added.
This cooperation of bishops leads to a more effective exercise of their duties while not giving up their responsibility to provide for the spiritual needs of members of their individual dioceses.
A conference of bishops "promotes unity of effort and intention among the bishops" and serves as "an instrument that enables them to share the fatigue of their labors," said the Pope. The conference, he said, must serve “the pastoral solicitude of bishops, whose principal concern must be the salvation of souls, which is also the fundamental mission of the Church."
The Pope reminded the bishops that they must employ the best and most appropriate ways of presenting Church teaching within their dioceses. Furthermore, they must be up to date on the issues of the day to guide the consciences of the people and provide adequate solutions for the problems posed by changes in society and culture.
Issues such as promoting and protecting faith and morals, fostering vocations and defending human life, religious freedom and human rights require a united action from bishops, he said.
The Brazilian bishops were in Rome as part of their “ad limina” visits, trips that bishops make to Rome once every five years to update the Pope on their ministries and to seek his guidance and direction.