The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will hold its fall meeting in Washington, DC, November 15-18 at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill. The agenda will include: approval of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults; possible development of a brief pastoral statement on church teaching concerning the use of the Bible by Catholics; a possible National Pastoral Initiative on Marriage; consideration of USCCB participation in a new initiative called Christian Churches Together in the USA; a proposal for annual collection of data and reporting in the aggregate of new cases of sexual abuse of minors, resolution of ongoing cases, and associated costs; permission requested by the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse to proceed with plans for a 2005 audit process; creation of an Ad Hoc Committee for the Church in Africa; and several actions related to Spanish language liturgical rituals. On

November 15, a new USCCB president and vice president will be chosen to succeed Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of Belleville, IL, and Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, WA. As usual there is a slate of ten candidates. Both president and vice president are elected by a simple majority. If this majority is not reached on the first or second ballot for president, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes on the second ballot will be the sole candidates on the third and final ballot. The vice president is then selected from the remaining nine candidates using the same procedure. In alphabetical order, the candidates for president are: Indianapolis Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein, OSB; Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFMCap; Rapid City Bishop Blase J. Cupich; Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan; Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Francis E. George, OMI; Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas; San Francisco Archbishop William J. Levada; Philadelphia Archbishop Cardinal Justin F. Rigali; Spokane Bishop William S. Skylstad; and Pittsburgh Bishop Donald W. Wuerl. A treasurer-elect and fourteen chairmen-elect will also be chosen.

On October 14, 2004, church officials announced that Bishop Frederick Campbell, 61, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis for the past five years, will become bishop of Columbus, Ohio, replacing Bishop James Griffin who is retiring because of his age and health. Bishop Campbell, who for the past two years also has been the rector of the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity, is expected to leave for Columbus in early January.

The 48th International Eucharistic Congress held in Guadalajara, Mexico, came to an end on October 17 with a televised message from Pope John Paul II speaking from St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. The pope said the congress “invites us to consider the eucharistic mystery, not just in itself, but in relation to the problems of our time.” The pope’s message called the Eucharist the “mystery of light.”