BALTIMORE (MD)
Columbus Dispatch
By Mary Wisniewski
Reuters Monday November 11, 2013
BALTIMORE — U.S. Catholic bishops will choose new leaders at an assembly in Baltimore this week and might signal a new direction for the American church under the influence of Pope Francis.
The conference begins today and all eyes will be on whether the new leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops continue vigorous opposition to gay marriage and Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate, or increase their push to help the poor and immigrants given Pope Francis’ emphasis on social-justice issues.
The new leaders also will be preparing for an “extraordinary synod” of bishops in Rome to discuss teachings related to the family. The Vatican has asked bishops and parish priests around the world about local views on gay marriage, divorce and birth control ahead of the October 2014 meeting.
“Bishops have been stuck in a bunker fighting the culture war,” said John Gehring, the Catholic program director for Faith in Public Life, a liberal advocacy group. “Pope Francis has said we can’t just be known by what we oppose.”
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