Bishops to Hear Report on Haiti Response, Greet New Catholic University President, Vote on Ecumenical Agreement at November Meeting

WASHINGTON(October 8, 2010)—The annual Fall General Assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will be November 15-18, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel. The meeting will begin with Mass at 8 a.m. on Monday.

At the assembly, the bishops will hear addresses by the president of the USCCB, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, and the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambi. On Tuesday, they will elect the next president, vice president, treasurer-elect and general secretary of the USCCB, as well as the chairmen-elect of six committees.

Other items on the agenda include discussion and votes on:

• A common agreement between the bishops' conference and four Reformed churches to recognize each other’s baptism
• The request of the Pro-Life Activities Committee to begin drafting a brief policy statement against physician assisted suicide
• The 2012 assessment, with a recommendation that it be increased by 3 percent
• Discussion and vote of the 2011 Conference budget.

The bishops will also receive a formal introduction of Professor John H. Garvey, the new president of The Catholic University of America, and hear reports and presentations on:

• The Church’s response to the earthquake in Haiti
• The Review and Renewal of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development
• The work of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage
• Informational update on World Youth Day 2011
• The needs of the Archdiocese for the Military Services
• Integrating new media into diocesan communication structures.

For more information on the election of the USCCB general secretary, visit www.usccb.org/news/2010/10-167.cfm. For more information on the elections of chairmen-elect, visit www.usccb.org/news/2010/10-160.cfm.

Coverage of the assembly is open to credentialed media. Sessions open to the media will be Monday, November 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, November 16, from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. There will be media conferences after all open sessions. Reporters seeking to cover the meeting can download a credential application form and submit it by November 5, by fax to (202) 541-3173, or mail to:

November Meeting Credentials
Office of Media Relations
3211 4th St. NE
Washington, DC 20017-1194

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Keywords: USCCB, November meeting, Fall General Assembly, Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Baltimore, action items, vote, officers, general secretary, Ecumenical, Pro-Life, Haiti, Catholic Campaign for Human Development