Bishops at 'critical point' in reorganizing national conference

Published: 2006-06-19

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- "I believe we are at a critical point" in reorganizing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of Santa Fe, N.M., USCCB secretary, told the U.S. bishops June 15. As conference secretary, Archbishop Sheehan is head of the USCCB Committee on Priorities and Plans, which is spearheading a three-year project to downsize the USCCB and focus its energies on a more limited number of priorities set by the nation's bishops or the Vatican. A major part of the plan he laid out for the bishops to consider was a proposal that would reduce the conference's 35 standing and 16 ad hoc committees to 14 committees. Some suppressed committees would become subcommittees under one of the new committees.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .