http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/article.html?mi=D8LC9LJ80&apc=9001

The leader of America's Roman Catholic bishops called his colleagues Monday
to fight against a coarseness that he said was infecting the church and
society at large, and to unite in promoting human dignity through faith.

In his opening address at the U.S. bishops' fall meeting, Bishop William
Skylstad said "debasing personal attacks" have replaced healthy public
debate, and that popular culture and the news media have degraded human
dignity with violence and vulgar depictions of sex.

"There is a mocking reduction of sexuality, debasing it from God's beautiful
gift of creation to little more than casual chemistry and inconsequential
recreation," said Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops. "Sometimes it seems that people are no longer seen as children of
God but as little more than a disposable commodity."

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/article.html?mi=D8LC9LJ80&apc=9001
The leader of America's Roman Catholic bishops called his colleagues Monday
to fight against a coarseness that he said was infecting the church and
society at large, and to unite in promoting human dignity through faith.

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/article.html?mi=D8LC9LJ80&apc=9001





The leader of America's Roman Catholic bishops called his colleagues
Monday
to fight against a coarseness that he said was infecting the church and
society at large,

In his opening address at the U.S. bishops' fall meeting, Bishop William
Skylstad said "debasing personal attacks" have replaced healthy public
debate, and that popular culture and the news media have degraded human
dignity with violence and vulgar depictions of sex.

"There is a mocking reduction of sexuality, debasing it from God's
beautiful
gift of creation to little more than casual chemistry and inconsequential
recreation," said Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops. "Sometimes it seems that people are no longer seen as children of
God but as little more than a disposable commodity."

Skylstad, of Spokane, Wash., said he has also detected a cruelty in
discussions within the church, among people who "presume the worst of
intentions or motivations of others."

"The point seems to be not to seek the truth

Christ, but to strive for a sort of victory by overcoming others,
preferably
by crushing those who disagree," he said. "Our unity cannot simply devolve
into an endless debate that would keep us from articulating our faith in a
definitive way."

Skylstad made the comments ahead of discussions over the next two days
that
are meant to emphasize core church teachings, especially for often
uninvolved Catholics.

The bishops will also consider new guidelines on ministry to gay
parishioners, explaining the theological underpinnings of the Catholic
mandate that marriage must be limited to one man and one woman.

The attention to core teachings comes as the 64 million-member American
church faces a shortage of priests, low rates of Mass attendance and a
massive influx of Hispanic immigrants.

Diocesan budgets also are stretched thin. Bishops nationwide have been
closing older parishes that are too expensive to maintain, while trying to
cover rising costs for operating their schools. And several dioceses are
still negotiating settlements in the millions of dollars over claims of
clergy sex abuse. The cases of three of the four dioceses that have sought
bankruptcy protection from molestation claims remain unresolved.

Skylstad, whose own diocese has sought bankruptcy protection, only
mentioned
the crisis briefly, saying the abuse crisis made church leaders even more
aware of how children often are hurt most by adults who fail to promote
human dignity.

To adjust to the financial pressures on the church, the bishops this week
will consider restructuring the conference's Washington headquarters.
Under
the proposal, American dioceses would send less money to the conference,
which would in turn cut jobs and committees.

The bishops have also proposed a new set of priorities for their
streamlined
conference through 2011, including an initiative supporting marriage,
increasing the number of candidates for the priesthood and improving
education for Catholics on church teaching.

The meeting runs through Thursday, but the bishops have decided to conduct
more business than usual behind closed doors. This week, public sessions
will end Tuesday. In previous years, the conference only held a half-day
executive session at its fall meeting, but a spokeswoman said the extra
time
was needed for "prayer and reflection."

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/article.html?mi=D8LC9LJ80&apc=9001

Skylstad, whose own diocese has sought bankruptcy protection, only
mentioned
the crisis briefly, saying the abuse crisis made church leaders even more
aware of how children often are hurt most by adults who fail to promote
human dignity.

The meeting runs through Thursday, but the bishops have decided to conduct
more business than usual behind closed doors.

This week, public sessions
will end Tuesday. In previous years, the conference only held a half-day
executive session at its fall meeting, but a spokeswoman said the extra
time
was needed for "prayer and reflection."

The leader of America's Roman Catholic bishops called his colleagues
Monday to fight against a coarseness that he said was infecting the church

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/article.html?mi=D8LC9LJ80&apc=9001





The leader of America's Roman Catholic bishops called his colleagues
Monday to fight against a coarseness that he said was infecting the
church and society at large, and to unite in promoting human dignity
through faith.

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/article.html?mi=D8LC9LJ80&apc=9001
The leader of America's Roman Catholic bishops called his colleagues Monday
to fight against a coarseness that he said was infecting the church and
society at large, and to unite in promoting human dignity through faith.

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/article.html?mi=D8LC9LJ80&apc=9001

The leader of America's Roman Catholic bishops called his colleagues Monday
to fight against a coarseness that he said was infecting the church and
society at large, and to unite in promoting human dignity through faith.

The leader of America's Roman Catholic bishops called his colleagues Monday
to fight against a coarseness that he said was infecting the church

http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/article.html?mi=D8LC9LJ80&apc=9001





The leader of America's Roman Catholic bishops called his colleagues Monday
to fight against a coarseness that he said was infecting the church and
society at large, and to unite in promoting human dignity through faith.