Bishops exploring ways to make meetings more productive

Published: 2003-11-11

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The U.S. bishops are looking for ways to make their meetings more productive. The bishops already do much during their meetings, according to their vice president, Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., but he said the bishops also are looking for ways to spend more time in prayer and in conversation with each other. Bishop Skylstad this summer was appointed by the U.S. bishops' president, Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Belleville, Ill., as chairman of a task force to study the issue. As head of the Task Force on Content and Flow of General Meetings, he delivered a brief oral report Nov. 11 during the bishops' fall general meeting in Washington. When they broke into their 14 regional groupings, the bishops themselves spent an hour after Bishop Skylstad's report discussing ways to make meetings more useful for them. Bishop Skylstad, in an interview with Catholic News Service, noted that certain structures are needed for a meeting that regularly draws 280 of the nation's 400 active and retired bishops. But "given the increasingly complex times in which we live," Bishop Skylstad said, pointing to the clergy sex abuse scandal as an example, the bishops seek time for "dialogue on substantive issues."

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