USCCB November meeting will be virtual, bishops announce

CNA Staff, Aug 31, 2020 / 08:00 pm (CNA).- The U.S. bishops’ conference will conduct its November general assembly virtually, the bishops announced Friday, in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The bishops’ conference had cancelled entirely its June meeting in light of the pandemic.

“In a vote of 219 to 5 (1 abstaining), the bishops decided to meet in a virtual format rather than the usual in person meeting. The agenda will be finalized by the Administrative Committee of the USCCB, set to meet in mid-September,” the conference said in an Aug. 28 press release.

The bishops’ conference consulted with the Holy See before putting the idea of a virtual meeting to a vote. The ballot told bishops that the administrative committee of the conference had decided to cancel the upcoming in-person meeting, and asked bishops whether they approved holding a virtual meeting in its place. The bishops were also asked how long they would like the meeting to last, bishops overwhelmingly chose an abbreviated session taking place over two days.

At the virtual session, bishops are expected to vote on a successor to outgoing general secretary of the conference, Msgr. Brian Bransfield, and to elect several committee chairmen. The bishops will also vote on a final version of their 2021-2024 strategic plan, and vote on a 2021-2022 budget proposal.