Not your cardinal's conference

In the not so distant past, the release of a slew of new documents by the bishop's conference would have produced an instinctive wince among the faithful. But this is not your cardinal's USCCB. The first document is a much-need clarification to the "ambiguities" contained in the conference's 2002 statement on the Church's mission and the role of Jews, "Reflections on Covenant and Mission." The clarification was written by the committee on doctrine headed by the rock-solid Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Connecticut (and supreme chaplain to the Knights of Columbus.) He warns that "Reflections" should not be taken as an authoritative presentation of the teaching of the Catholic Church. Here is one of the key statements:

This acknowledgment needs to be accompanied, however, by a clear affirmation of the Church's belief that Jesus Christ in Himself fulfills God's revelation begun with Abraham and that proclaiming this good news to all the world is at the heart of her mission.

The second document is an endorsement of Fort Wayne's Bishop John D'Arcy for his handling of the Notre Dame/Obama scandal:

The bishops of the United States express our appreciation and support for our brother bishop, the Most Reverend John D'Arcy. We affirm his pastoral concern for Notre Dame University, his solicitude for its Catholic identity, and his loving care for all those the Lord has given him to sanctify, to teach and to shepherd.

And to make it a hat trick, the bishops will be making all of the 2009 Catechetical Sunday materials available online.