The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will meet June 16-18 for their annual summer General Assembly. The agenda will include discussion and vote on the 5th Edition of the Program of Priestly Formation, discussion and vote on the adaptations of the Order of Mass, a statement of renewed commitment to Catholic elementary and secondary schools, a pastoral letter on World Missions, and discussion and vote on the revised Essential Norms and the revised Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. The bishops will spend a half day on prayer and discussion on the theme of Evangelization and Catechesis.

The State of Israel has dedicated a stamp commemorating Pope John Paul II on the occasion of what would have been his 85th birthday, May 18. The image on the stamp is of John Paul II at Jerusalem’s Western Wall. According to the Vatican newspaper, the L’Osservatore Romano, Israel’s Environment Entity will promote the creation of a "Meeting Park for the Pope of Young People" in Galilee, a "place linked to Christianity and loved by John Paul II, where an amphitheater will also be erected. This initiative has as its aim "to develop in young people, belonging to the different monotheistic religions, the culture of dialogue to build a future of peace."

On May 13, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, Pope Benedict XVI announced that he will dispense with the five-year waiting period, established by Canon Law, to open John Paul II’s cause of beatification. John Paul II had a special devotion to Our Lady of Fatima and believed she intervened to save his life on May 13, 1981, when he was the target of an assassination attempt. Pope Benedict has dispensed with the entire 5-year waiting period in the case of his predecessor, John Paul II. Now the Diocese of Rome will have to proceed to the official opening of the cause of beatification and a postulator for the cause will have to be appointed. Later, the process will call for the recognition of a miracle realized after John Paul II’s death that is attributed to his intercession.

Archbishop William Levada, Archbishop of San Francisco, California has been named by Pope Benedict XVI to succeed him as the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. "With this appointment, Bishop Levada becomes the most influential American at the Vatican today, and arguably the most powerful prelate in the history of the church. As the official with primary responsibility for insuring the preservation of doctornal orthodoxy worldwide, he will rank second only to the pontiff within the Vatican. He is certain to be named a cardinal at the next consistory." - Catholic World News. He will be officially resigning as Archbishop of San Francisco on August 17 and relocating to Rome at that time.