Pray for our bishops

The USCCB fall assembly begins next Monday in Baltimore.

The bishops' discussion of "the practical and pastoral implications of" "connectedness between the evil of abortion and political support for abortion" will, I'm guessing, be complicated by the fact of a Catholic Vice President-Elect who supports abortion.

Another major topic for the assembly is the "vote on goals and objectives for the work of [the] five task forces on the priority initiatives."

Here is the list of goals; each goal has a number of objectives:

1. To increase the Catholic community's understanding and acceptance of cultural diversity in the Church.
2. To include diverse cultures in the life and leadership of dioceses, parishes and other Catholic organizations in the United States.
3. To inspire, challenge and help Catholic couples to witness to the meaning and value of marriage as a human institution and a Christian sacrament.
4. To work for laws and public policies that protect, promote, and strengthen marriage.
5. To invite all Catholics to a relationship with Jesus in a context of living faith, especially at the parish level, by catechetical and educational formation on the nature of Catholic identity and an appreciation of the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. This effort takes place within an awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity in the identity and practice of the Catholic faith in the United States.
6. To facilitate the prospective introduction, reception, and implementation of the new translation of the Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia, to the Church in the United States.
7. In a compelling and effective way, to re-establish the cultural compass of the United States to affirm the objective, transcendent truth of the intrinsic value of human life and the dignity of the human person from the inception of life to natural death.
8. To help individuals hear and respond to a call by God to the priesthood or consecrated life.
9. To educate all of the faithful on the importance of encouraging others to consider a vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life.

There's something about Jesus in there, if you look for it within an awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity in the identity and practice of the Catholic faith in the Unites States.

The objectives mention things like "best practices," invitations "to collaborate in addressing issues and developing initiatives," and "achiev[ing] excellence."

I don't know if an official prayer has been promulgated for use by the laity in the lead-up to this assembly, but I have composed my own:

God help the bishops.
God help us all.
Amen.

UPDATE: Ha!

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