Pope Francis approves USCCB delegates for October's Synod of Bishops

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WASHINGTON (CNS) — Pope Francis
has ratified the members elected by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to
represent the United States at Synod of Bishops Oct. 3-28.

The synod will meet at the
Vatican to discuss “young people, faith and vocational discernment.”

The USCCB announced July 23 that
the U.S. church’s delegates will be:

— Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of
Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

— Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of
Los Angeles, vice president of the USCCB.

— Archbishop Charles J. Chaput
of Philadelphia, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family
Life and Youth.

— Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of
Bridgeport, Connecticut, a member of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage,
Family Life and Youth.

— Auxiliary Bishop Robert E.
Barron of Los Angeles, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and
Catechesis.

In preparation for the synod,
the USCCB and other episcopal conferences, as well as ecclesial movements,
associations and experts in the field, were consulted throughout 2017 on the
synod topic of “young people, the faith, and vocational discernment.”

The Vatican also collected
responses from an online questionnaire aimed at youth and young adults
conducted last year.

In March of this year, over 300
young adult delegates gathered in Rome, where Pope Francis convened a presynod
gathering to listen directly to the voice of young people from around the
world. The gathering produced a final presynodal document.

The USCCB sent three delegates
to that meeting: De La Salle Christian Brother Javier Hansen, who teaches at
Cathedral High School in El Paso, Texas; Nick Lopez, director of campus ministry
for the University of Dallas; and Katie Prejean-McGrady, a wife, new mother,
youth minister, and a popular speaker from the Diocese of Lake Charles,
Louisiana.

The working document was released
in late June and includes a summary of all the synod consultations to date. It
describes the purpose of the upcoming Synod of Bishops as an opportunity for
the church “to accompany all young people, without exception, toward the joy of
love,” realizing that “taking care of young people is not an optional task for
the church, but an integral part of her vocation and mission is history.”

On July 14, the Vatican announced
Pope Francis has chosen his delegates to the synod — four cardinals from
countries where young people are facing special challenges.

He named Cardinals Louis Sako of
Baghdad, the Chaldean patriarch; Desire Tsarahazana of Toamasina, Madagascar; Charles
Bo of Yangon, Myanmar; and John Ribat of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. As
presidents-delegate, the cardinals will alternate presiding over the synod
sessions.

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Editor’s Note: The official
USCCB webpage for the synod is www.usccb.org/synod-2018.

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