Canadian bishops cut staff, offices to balance 2005 budget

Published: 2004-11-10

OTTAWA (CNS) -- The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has cut about $800,000 (US$667,000) from its 2005 budget, forcing the elimination or consolidation of several departments. Gone are the aboriginal affairs office, which will be merged into the social affairs office, and the Christian unity, religious relations and interfaith dialogue offices, which will be merged into a new theology office. "Although we have had to make adjustments to the staff and have reorganized the way in which the staff operates, the episcopal commissions which are made up of bishops remain the same," Archbishop Brendan O'Brien of St. John's, Newfoundland, president of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in an e-mail interview Nov. 5. "Certainly, more is being asked of our staff, and they will have to prioritize their time in terms of the importance of the demands," he wrote. "There may, however, be even more cooperation and coordination as a result of these changes."

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