New texts for Mass approved 6/25/06

Bishops meeting
New texts for Mass approved

By Jerry Filteau
Catholic News Service

Meeting June 15-17 in Los Angeles, the U.S. Catholic bishops approved a new translation of the Order of Mass and studied a proposal to downsize the committee structure, and eventually the staffing, of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

They approved an extension of the annual national collection for retired religious until 2017.

They approved a 2007 assessment on dioceses, equal to the 2006 assessment, to help fund USCCB operations.

The bishops agreed to a proposal that their Committee on Stewardship draft brochures on stewardship for teenagers, one in English and a separate one in Spanish adapted to differences in the relationship many Hispanic youths have with the church.

They elected Auxiliary Bishop Denis J. Madden of Baltimore to fill a vacant slot on the board of directors of Catholic Relief Services.

Only the first day of the bishops’ three-day meeting was open to media and observers.

At the end of the second day, they concelebrated Mass at the new Los Angeles archdiocesan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels a few blocks from the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, where they were meeting.

During their public sessions the first morning and afternoon, they heard a brief report on the work of CRS and lengthier reports on post-hurricane relief in the South; the relationship of Catholic bishops and Catholic politicians; and the rationale behind new Vatican rules for translating Latin liturgical texts into modern languages.

They viewed a new 18-minute DVD on priests and priestly vocations, titled “Fishers of Men.” It was produced nationally but can be adapted for local use by inserting contact information for local vocation offices and vocation directors.

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, new papal nuncio to the United States, addressed the gathered bishops for the first time. During the private portion of their meeting they also heard a report from Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino of Havana.