Bishops at conference may take up issue of marriage

Has urged clarification on Communion
Some are pushing for major pastoral letter

At their annual general meeting that begins today in Washington, 290 U.S. Catholic bishops will consider whether to spend two years researching and writing a major pastoral letter on marriage.

The issue is one of several the bishops will take up this week and is a timely one given the visibility of the topic during the Nov. 2 election. Voters in all 11 states in which marriage was on the ballot voted to amend their state constitutions to ban same-sex marriage.

The subject [of Holy Communion for Pro-Abortion politicians] is important to St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke, who is one of a handful of American bishops who have been vocal about their belief that Catholic politicians who support abortion rights should not receive Holy Communion. In a June meeting, McCarrick's task force gave an interim report on their findings, and the body of bishops offered a public statement saying each bishop should decide his own diocese's policy on the matter.

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