U.S. bishops

The bishops of every diocese in the United States have prepared detailed reports on the life of the Catholic Church in their dioceses as part of their visits “to the threshold of the apostles.”

The 1919 “Bishops’ Program for Social Reconstruction” was showcased in this year’s Labor Day statement to demonstrate how so many of the issues the bishops touched upon a century ago in the wake of World War I’s end still resonate in improving the conditions of workers today.

The chairmen of three U.S. bishops’ committees Aug. 21 welcomed a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Labor aimed at clarifying religious protections that may be invoked by federal contractors, including faith-based organizations.

The chairmen of two U.S. bishops’ committees said July 3 they oppose a proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that they say would lead to separation or housing instability for many families.

Hard-fought legislation that gives President Donald Trump 55 additional miles of barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, well short of what he requested, was on its way to his desk Feb. 15, 2019, after the House and Senate both passed the measure late Feb. 14.

The U.S. bishops Nov. 14 defeated a resolution to encourage the Vatican to release all documents related to the investigation of allegations of misconduct by Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick.

An independent lay-run board that would hold bishops accountable for their actions, a national day for Mass or prayers of reparation, and encouragement to parishioners to become more involved in their diocese are among steps suggested by prominent lay Catholics to right the U.S. church as it deals with a new clergy sexual abuse scandal.

A delegation of U.S. bishops traveled to the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, to learn more about the detention of immigrants, mostly Central Americans, at the U.S.-Mexico border.