Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:10 Welcome back to another edition of Big City Catholics. This podcast is a little bit different from the rest. Our Bishop Robert Brennan, for the Diocese of Brooklyn, is not with us today. He joins all of the other bishops of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops in Baltimore for their fall plenary conference. And Bishop, we're happy that you're able to call in to the podcast, and we really want to discuss the exciting events of what's going on down in the U S C C B meeting this week. But we'll begin with prayer. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with me. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed. It is the fruit of the I womb Jesus.
Speaker 2 00:00:48 Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1 00:00:53 Amen. In the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit. Amen. Bishop, uh, how's it going down in Baltimore? I know that you're down there this week with all the other bishops of the country for this fall plenary session. How's it been?
Speaker 2 00:01:06 Well, so far so good. Now I have to begin with confession. You know this already, we're recording this at the beginning of the meetings to be used when we post our podcast toward the end of the week. So we just got underway with the general assembly, but I was here on Sunday. We had meetings. A lot of work with the U S C CB is done through committees. The committees work throughout the year, and then they come to the larger body, the general assembly of all the bishops. There are different discussions, reports, votes, all of those things take place. So I'm on the Pro-Life Committee, the Committee for a Pro-Life Affairs. We've had several Zoom meetings throughout the year, but this was our first meeting in person. So, so that was done yesterday on Sunday afternoon. And then, um, I was, I'm also on the board of the National Shrine in Washington, where we just had our pilgrimage. The Bishop of Brooklyn has always been invited to be part of it because of the role that Brooklyn plays in the life of the National
Speaker 1 00:02:06 Shine. Cool. You've already had two of those meetings really before the beginning of the, uh, the general Assembly.
Speaker 2 00:02:12 That's right. So a lot of the different committees meet before and even during the meeting. And some of those committees will work hard even during the meeting if there's something up for a vote, for example, so that they can get the documents ready, then listen to the feedback and make whatever amendments can be made and presented for a vote. So different committees are often working hard throughout the whole time. But this morning, I'm recording on Monday afternoon, we began in a new way. Usually we finish and there's an optional morning of prayer the day after we meet. But about a year or two ago, we started with a little bit of a different approach, beginning with prayer on the Monday. So it's a little bit later morning. Usually you're rushing down from answer early in the morning and then have some breakfast. So we, we started with breakfast, and then we had morning prayer and adoration, daytime prayer, a talk, all of that in the first couple of hours. It was just a time to be together to pray. And then we got on the buses and we went over to the historic cathedral here in Baltimore and celebrated the mass of the Holy Spirit. That sets a tone for the meeting.
Speaker 1 00:03:22 Absolutely. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:03:24 Yeah. We approach things differently when we've had time to pray together
Speaker 1 00:03:27 First. Absolutely. What a, what a blessed idea. What a great idea really to think. You know, you probably sort of hindsight is 2020, you look back and probably think we should have started this like this a, a while ago. But it's great that you are able to start it now in, in prayer, and it, it does absolutely. Sets the tone. May the Holy Spirit guide all of you this week. I also read in regards to this meeting, that there's other changes from years past. One of them is a more, uh, syal approach in the way in which the bishops are even sitting during the course of the meeting. What that means is most times you are all sort of like lined up in desks that were front word facing. And I believe this year they're changing it to more circular round tables. Is that correct?
Speaker 2 00:04:12 That's right. That will start tomorrow. Those parts of the meeting. So I haven't seen the setup yet. A couple of guys have looked in and taken a peak, but I haven't seen what it looks like. But yes, it'll be a different experience. I guess. We've sat at round tables during the spring special sessions when it's more of a day of prayer. That'll be something a little bit different, the setup of tables.
Speaker 1 00:04:33 That's great. No, I think that also kind of gives a nod to the Senate and to the, the Holy Father's request of dialogue. It sounds like a small change, but hopefully practically it works. I don't know, but
Speaker 2 00:04:46 I'm curious. I know myself, I'd be tempted, especially if it gets a little boring or tedious to be talking to the person at the tables
Speaker 1 00:04:53 <laugh>,
Speaker 2 00:04:54 It's going to take some self-discipline.
Speaker 1 00:04:56 Well, we don't, I hope we don't, don't
Speaker 2 00:04:58 Worry. I'll
Speaker 1 00:04:59 Be good. We don't catch you on camera, you know, uh, to try.
Speaker 2 00:05:02 So, exactly.
Speaker 1 00:05:03 Now, can you walk us through what a, like a normal day is like in the midst of this meeting? I mean, yeah. Even to the point of sort of sponsored breakfasts and opportunities. Not a minute is wasted, it seems.
Speaker 2 00:05:13 No, some of the breakfasts have changed. Basically, the sponsored breakfasts were offered by different organizations who either want to share what they're doing or advertise maybe what they're doing for the bishops, that's somewhat limited in scope because staffing issues at the hotel. Okay. So we just have the one general breakfast, but even there is usually somebody who's updating us. So today, our Sunday visit, who's taken on the role of communications, as many people know, the bishops have discontinued the work of Catholic News Service, which was sort of like a Catholic version of AP or Reuters. Yes. It would be a national service that would provide stories, for example, to the tablet. We have our own reporters who take care of the local conversations, the local news, but then they would run stories and you see the attribution to CNS Catholic News Service. That's how you would get stories that might be happening in Chicago or in Texas or some somewhere else.
Speaker 2 00:06:14 That's right. That's right. So we've discontinued the responsibility. Our Sunday visitor, their news organization, bought out a lot of that intellectual property. Sure. And so that they're able now to provide that service. So they sponsored something for us today, and I'm sure we'll have a more formal report during the meeting. Monday was spent morning in prayer in the afternoon. We have regional meetings now that helps us in our conversations on some of the bigger issues. So sometimes you'll get an issue that we're gonna be talking about, maybe not this year, but next year. But we begin with the consultation at the local level. You know, so for example, I'll talk a little more about fraternal dialogue, but in the regional session we'll talk about it so that you could, some talk in a small group and there's somebody there who records all the information from those small group discussions.
Speaker 2 00:07:07 And then one of the committees will study that, put it together, and then they prepare the material that in a future meeting takes it to the larger group. So sometimes that takes a little bit long to do something, but it's a process that we've been using for years that really allows for input at various different levels. Sure. So we'll do that on Monday. And a lot of that things that we're talking about right now have to do with episcopal fraternity and communal and fraternal dialogue. So in the spring, the special assembly was going back, okay. You know, how do we relate to each other? How do we operate not according to the rules of politics, American politics, but really as a church, what we call communion, so that we can talk to one another, disagree with one another, try to understand one another, but then with a sense of charity and unity.
Speaker 2 00:08:05 So I missed the spring assembly because of, uh, travel issues. It was just hard to pull off the travel with responsibilities I had at both ends. But that was sort of a prayerful experience and a chance to reflect a little bit of self examination, an examination of conscience as individuals and, and as a body. And so now we continue that, um, in a more practical way with our regional discussions. And then with our being together. So there's usually some time for the local bishops. So for us, that's New York State. Our region happens to be the bishops of New York State. And then we'll have some time for executive session where we take care of some matters of discussion. And then tomorrow we begin the public session. And that's what's carried on air, whether on television
Speaker 1 00:08:56 Or Yes. On YouTube and the SCC website. YouTube, yeah.
Speaker 2 00:09:00 So, uh, those begin. And that's where we do the formalities. So there are always reports, child protection. There's a board of lay Catholics that review a lot of our material and give us their inputs. So we have that report. We send through the chair a message to the Holy Father. We have the address from the Nuo. The Labor Board, by the way, is the National Advisory Counselor. Just took a minute, <laugh> Sure. To get it off my tongue. We listen carefully to their reaction to the things we'll be discussing. So we'll talk about that. Another thing we'll be doing this week, this is a very important part. We'll be electing leadership for the conference.
Speaker 1 00:09:39 I was reading that, and I think a recent article of the tablet, they had a list of bishops who were perhaps in the running for the General Aries at the title.
Speaker 2 00:09:49 That's right. So this general secretary is the priest who takes care of everything. Sure. But the president of the conference. So that's who's going to be running. So we'll be electing a new president. And yes, what happened is bishops were asked to nominate to send in names of people to be considered. And then the community on priorities and plans will sort that through. And they'll reach out to see if those individuals who were nominated take the highest number of nominations, ask them if they would consider putting their name in for election. And that would be the slate. So that's the proposed slate. Anything can happen because people can also nominate from the floor on the day of the election. But chances are, again, there's been a process in place. So these are the names that have come forward. And then we'll have a whole process of, of electing will elect president at the conference. Then we'll elect the vice president at the conference, and then any other officers.
Speaker 1 00:10:42 Sure. And so, of course, Archbishop Gomez had been president for the last three years, and Archbishop Veran has been the vice president. And so I, I was reading there in the, in the tablet, there's a few names, uh, of note that our, I guess the top 10 candidates nominated. One of them happens to be priest of our diocese, the now Bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Bishop Cagiano. He's one of the top nominees for this great title and great amount of work. I'm sure.
Speaker 2 00:11:10 Well, it's an, oh, it's a, it's a tremendous amount of work because you've gotta work with all the committees. I think the president of the conference has a call every morning somewhere around seven 30 or so. So there's something built into his day where every day he has a telephone call with the general secretary. And there's a lot of back and forth. Oh, oh,
Speaker 1 00:11:31 God. Bless
Speaker 2 00:11:32 The, the generous soul who takes on the responsibility.
Speaker 1 00:11:35 That's for sure. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:11:36 It's a big, it's a big job.
Speaker 1 00:11:38 It is. It absolutely is. It is. You know, uh, one of the things you, you're mentioning this fraternity amongst the bishops as we spoke recently about the great convocation that we had of priests here in our diocese, and how great that was for the priests to all be together and spend time and prayer and, and just to have lunch together and just spend time with one another. So too, it is for the bishops. I mean, you're a body of bishops that span the whole United States. Uh, why Alaska? It must be a great, uh, joy for you all to be together and to see one another.
Speaker 2 00:12:11 It really is. It really is. It always gives me great hope whenever I connect with the broader body of bishops. Very good Holy bishops. People who inspire me and make me want to, uh, kind of step up my game a little bit. Sure. Holy man. And many of us will all carrying similar responsibility, similar challenges. And it's just good to be around other people who can encourage you by their own experience and their own
Speaker 1 00:12:40 Holiness. And just having, you know, certainly the meetings are very important, but then I'm sure in the evening time, there's an opportunity for you to spend time having a dinner together or a chat together. I hope if the weather is cooperative, maybe even take a walk along the, uh, the marina down there. Right?
Speaker 2 00:12:57 That's right. The harbor's beautiful down here. It's a little cold. I, I guess it got cold in New York as well.
Speaker 1 00:13:03 Yes. Yeah, it
Speaker 2 00:13:04 Has. After, after, after the weekend. Wow. What a beautiful
Speaker 1 00:13:07 Spoiled. We've
Speaker 2 00:13:08 Been spoiled now, now we're quite the opposite. I usually find that's the case that when we are down here, this is sort of the week where things start to change. We pull out that winter coat. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 00:13:17 <affirmative>. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And so also really in addition to the voting for the president and the vice president, in addition to the, the regional meetings and the committee meetings, what else is sort of on the agenda that is of note that you'd like to talk about? Well,
Speaker 2 00:13:31 There's also elections for committee chairs, and those are, those are important too. But then one of the things, we don't have a heavy agenda in terms of issue things. A lot of work is just, is continuing. So there'll be some reporting. I think one of the major elections, we're going to have a discussion about the document, faithful citizenship. And you know, our own Bishop Tamaio was a key part of the writing of this way back in, I think it was about 2000 in preparation for the 2008 election. And that document stood strong over the years. And what they've done is as two years out, because there's a lot of discussion and back and forth. So we start discussing what we want to say for the 2024 election. And it's not a voter guide, like a political election committee, but it's really enunciating the principles that we want to keep in mind when we do make our selection.
Speaker 2 00:14:30 So over the years, we've kind of kept the bones of the document together, but have adapted it a little bit to meet some of the current issues, to apply the eternal principles to the current issues. This year we're at the beginning stage, and the question is, do we start from scratch with a new document now that it's been a number of years? Do we pick up to what we've done recently and just tweak it a little bit? We'll use it differently though. We've had some of those discussions in the regional meetings. We did that a couple of months ago in each region in New York, for example. And so now we'll take all of that input report on it, and then we have a chance to think about it, discuss it, and come to a decision on what we think is going to be most appropriate going forward.
Speaker 2 00:15:15 When it comes to elections, it's not like political parties. It's not like you say, we're going to endorse this candidate, or we're going to trash that candidate. It's keeping in mind the general principles, the dignity of human life, care for the poor, the respect for our environment, human dignity, you know, human dignity becomes sort of a baseline principle through which we look at all of the other issues. And that's what our role is as bishops, to take a very serious look at those foundational principles. So, you know, one of the sadnesses in the modern era is a lot of us identify first as Republicans or Democrats, and then secondly as Catholics. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. I used to live in a swing state, you know that <laugh>. Yeah. That's not quite the case in New York. But I lived in a swing state in Ohio in the last election.
Speaker 2 00:16:11 I would get many, many letters the same day, which would say, you have to speak out and support this candidate and denounce the other. And then I'd get an equal number of letters saying the exact opposite. I get it. I get where people are coming from. But the point is, political parties, it's good that we have Catholics in there because what we are supposed to do is bring our Catholic principles into the political discussion, not the other way around. That's right. Not the other way around. And both parties can be challenged on those Catholic principles.
Speaker 1 00:16:41 Bishop, as you, as you've mentioned too. You know, there may be particular parties that lean in a direction that is more in unison in the direction of the Catholic church, perhaps on areas of immigration or areas of pro-life. But I do agree with you wholeheartedly that it is the role of each Catholic to understand the issues at hand and to understand what the church believes, why we believe, what we believe, and hopefully to direct the elected officials in the ways in which they can better serve the nation.
Speaker 2 00:17:13 That's right. I would say to people, when somebody would raise that issue, I'd say, you know what, if you're a Democrat who wants me to condemn the Republicans, my suggestion is you should challenge your own party, the Democrat Party, to embrace the Catholic principles. And then I'd say the same thing on the Republican side. Sure. If you're a Republican wants me to, to announce the Democrat candidates, but you need to do is work on your party, the Republican party, to embrace the Catholic principles. So that's what we do. We can serve as a catalyst, you know, Vatican too gadi, MIT be what is the role of the church to interpret the signs of the times with the light of the gospel. Not to adapt the gospel, to meet the signs of the times <laugh>, but to bring the gospel into the modern world. And so as Catholic Christians, we have something very important that light, that experience of faith.
Speaker 2 00:18:04 Now, you know, we talked about in a pro-life, we talked about some of the elections, and I'm talking on a national level and actually some of the disappointment with some of the ballot initiatives, not just in terms of candidates or parties. And so we realized that while there are some gains in the life issue, we also realize there are some real disappointments for us. Where's the life issue stands? We've said in, in one of our adaptations and one of our guides on faithful citizenship, that the life issue is foundational because all other human rights are built on that light. That's right. Issues. And so that has two implications. So on the one hand, that means if you're not respecting the life of every person at every stage of life and the very, very beginning to natural death, then all the other rights start to collapse in on themselves.
Speaker 2 00:18:54 And we see that happening. On the other hand, in terms of the life issue, what we need to do is to take that through life. If you're going to talk about respect for life, then you have to see racism as a life issue. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, you, you have to see the care and the dignity of the person, the care of the family, you know. So if we're going to say the life of the unborn child is paramount, great. But then how do we support a society that can support women so that they're not put into that position Yeah. Of needing, if you will, to use a strong or feeling they need an abortion. Yep. How do we support policies that can support women and families? And we have a lot of work to do. That's right. And also we have the practical work of accompanying people, walking with people, helping people along the way. You know, immigration, we have issues on both sides of the aisle. Go and make a strong statement. I believe that both political parties would rather have the problems associated with immigration than actually solve them. And that's true on both sides. You know, I don't see it necessarily as a Democrat or as a Republican issue. I think that we've had opportunities that we could have fixed this with comprehensive immigration reform. And you see the breakdown because I think the two parties want to keep it as a political tool.
Speaker 1 00:20:17 That's right. You continue to promote the drama of it.
Speaker 2 00:20:20 Yeah. We desperately, desperately need border security. And we see the harm that it does, not only in terms of the chaos at the border, but we see the harm that it's doing to the life and the safety of those making that, that immigration journey, as you talk to people and see what they've gone through, this chaos actually breeds danger. On the other hand, we do need to respond to the people who've arrived with dignity, with respect, and that a lot of our parishes are engaged in that right now. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, we do need to help people. We need to figure out ways of bringing people out of the shadows. You know, so there've been talks about this, for example, they call it daca, trying to regularize, for example, the status of young people who've came over as children and have lived good lives and trying to get them on a, on a path. We've gotta look at it from all directions. We have to have a secure border, but we have to have a generous policy because that's part of who we are as a nation. So at one level, it's somewhat complicated trying to work all these things out, but at another level, it's not as simple human dignity.
Speaker 1 00:21:27 It goes back to that. Yeah. Back to the book of Genesis and the creation of mankind. Yeah. And so Bishop, this idea of this conversation, part of this will be discussed within the general meeting.
Speaker 2 00:21:39 That's right. Right. So we won't get into the nitty gritty. Sure. One of the things that the American bishops do, and I don't think the bishops get enough credit for this, one of the bishops that the bishops really try to take seriously the teachings of Pope Francis. And you see those getting incorporated into whether it be the documents into the, the different teachings and all of that. So we wanna make sure that we are paying good attention to the way he's been leading us. So that brings me to another point, final point, if you will. We'll be talking about the ongoing initiative. So there'll be some discussion about the Senate experience and about what comes next. We'll be talking about the Eucharistic revival. Father Jino has been leading a group of people landing our own response in our living it out here in the diocese, on the diocese and level, maybe working toward a big diocese and gathering and working toward a national gathering. A lot of excitement about the Eucharistic revival and more will be coming on that we'll be talking a little bit more about world use day that's coming up, and there'll be some reports and some discussions. So there are some good and exciting things that are coming our way. And we wanna make sure that we are ready to respond with eagerness to living out the gospel here in the United States for us living out the gospel in Queens and
Speaker 1 00:22:56 Brooklyn. It's really wonderful. I, I know that it's a, I hope, a blessed opportunity for you all and the faithful of, of the country. This is what's beautiful. Again, the faithful of the country are behind you in prayer, praying for those who shepherd their local churches. I hope that you have a great time down there with your own auxiliary bishops. The auxiliary bishops of the
Speaker 2 00:23:16 We'll have a chance to get together one night. This, not only, that's a nice thing on the social side. I'll be catching up one night with the auxiliary bishops of Brooklyn, with Bishop DeMaio and with other bishops who have Brooklyn roots, but are serving in other places in, in the country, like Bishop Schoenberger, Bishop Barto, uh, Bishop Sweeney.
Speaker 1 00:23:34 That's great. Yeah. Very cool. I hope all of that is both refreshing, rejuvenating, but also the work that really, you know, we all know there's so much work that needs to be done, done. I hope that it's a great opportunity for the U S C C B to come together and continue that these initiatives continue. The great work and good luck down there this week. Bishop will be keeping you in our prayers when this, as you mentioned, when this airs, we'll have all of the results of the, the voting and, uh, in which way the conferences, the conversations went. But it's great to get your take on, on it while you're down there at the very outset of it. So thanks for sharing with us your insights.
Speaker 2 00:24:12 Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for the prayers.
Speaker 1 00:24:15 Yes. Um, would you, would you mind leading us to the final blessing? Sure.
Speaker 2 00:24:20 The Lord be with you and
Speaker 1 00:24:21 With your spirit.
Speaker 2 00:24:22 May the Lord bless you in, keep you Mays face, shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He look upon you with kindness and grant you his peace. And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit descend upon you and remain with you forever. Endeavor.
Speaker 1 00:24:35 Amen. Amen. Thank you, Bishop, for joining us again from down in Baltimore. We do assure you of our prayers. This has been another addition of big city Catholics, Ardas and podcast with Bishop Robert Brennan and myself, father Chris Heu. Thanks so much for tuning in and will hope you join us again next week. God bless.
