Tucson bishop new USCCB secretary; committee chairs-elect also chosen

Published: 2006-11-14

BALTIMORE (CNS) -- Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., was elected secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Nov. 14 at the USCCB fall general assembly in Baltimore. By a vote of 118-116 he defeated Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein of Indianapolis and succeeded Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of Santa Fe, N.M. Bishop Kicanas, who was completing a term as chairman of the USCCB communications committee, was not present in Baltimore for the vote. He had returned to Tucson the previous day because retired Bishop Manuel D. Moreno of Tucson was seriously ill and was hospitalized. Using a new electronic voting system, the bishops also elected 10 chairmen-elect for current USCCB committees. Some of those committees, however, were to be eliminated under the USCCB reorganization plan that the bishops were to consider in executive session later in the meeting.

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