WASHINGTON – Under conference rules since 2008, the new heads of committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops get to shadow the current chairmen for a year as chairmen-elect. But the new chairman of the Committee on International Justice and Peace will get no such break-in period.
Because Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien was recently appointed pro-grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, a Rome-based position, he is no longer eligible to succeed Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., as chairman of the international policy committee, as he was elected to do in November 2010.
The bishop elected to chair the Committee on International Justice and Peace will, therefore, assume leadership of the committee at the close of the Nov. 14-16 USCCB general assembly. The nominees are Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Fla., and Bishop Richard E. Pates of Des Moines, Iowa.
The USCCB membership also will choose either Bishop Robert J. Cunningham of Syracuse, N.Y., or Archbishop J. Peter Sartain of Seattle as secretary-elect. The bishop elected will become USCCB secretary and chairman of the Committee on Priorities and Plans in November 2012 and serve for three years.
Five committees were get new chairmen-elect. The committees and the nominees are:
– Communications: Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, Ala., and Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City.
– Cultural Diversity in the Church: Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, and Auxiliary Bishop Martin D. Holley of Washington.
– Doctrine: Bishop Robert J. McManus of Worcester, Mass., and Archbishop John C. Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
– National Collections: Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr of Cincinnati.
– Pro-Life Activities: Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston and Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit.