Bishops Vote for Secretary-Elect of Conference, Chairs-Elect of Five Committees, Chair Of International Justice and Peace at General Meeting

BALTIMORE—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) voted for the secretary-elect of USCCB, the chairmen-elect of five committees and the chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace at their annual Fall General Assembly, November 14.

The secretary-elect and chairmen-elect serve in that capacity for one year before beginning a three-year term. The bishops elected were:

·Archbishop Peter Sartain of Seattle for secretary-elect/chairman of the Committee on Priorities and Plans in a 136-102 vote over Bishop Robert Cunningham of Syracuse, New York.

·Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City for chairman-elect of the Committee on Communications in a 129-108 vote over Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile, Alabama.

·Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsvile, Texas for chairman-elect of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church in a 151-85 vote over Bishop Oscar Cantu, auxiliary bishop of San Antonio.

·Archbishop John Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis for chairman-elect of the Committee on Doctrine in a 126-111 vote over Bishop Robert McManus of Worcester, Massachusetts.

·Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati for chairman-elect of the Committee on National Collections in a 137-96 vote over Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, New York.

·Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston for chairman-elect of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities in a 149-84 vote over Archbishop Allen Vigneron of Detroit.

·Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa for chairman of International Justice and Peace in a 122-114 vote over Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice, Florida. Bishop Pates will become chair of the committee at the conclusion of the meeting.

The election of a chairman instead of a chairman-elect for International Justice and Peace reflects the fact that Archbishop Edwin O’Brien was elected chairman-elect in 2010 but will not assume the position because Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order (Knights) of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

The bishops also elected Bishop Joseph Pepe of Las Vegas and Bishop Anthony Taylor of Little Rock, Arkansas to the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) Board. They elected Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha, Nebraska, Bishop Flores, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City and Bishop Martin Holley, auxiliary bishop of Washington, to the Catholic Relief Services Board (CRS).

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Keywords: USCCB, committee, elections, vote, U.S. bishops, Committee on Priorities and Plans, chairmen-elect, three-year terms, Communications, Doctrine, Pro-Life Activities, Cultural Diversity, National Collections, International Justice and Peace, secretary-elect, Fall General Assembly, November meeting, Baltimore

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