Recap of U.S. Bishops’ Plenary Assembly in Orlando

(ZENIT News / Orlando, 06.13.2026).- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) gathered June 10-12 for their Spring Plenary Assembly in Orlando, Florida. The assembly began with the bishops sending prayers and a message to the Holy Father. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley addressed the body of bishops for the first time as Conference president. He was followed by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio to the United States, who delivered his first plenary address to the U.S. bishops since Pope Leo XIV appointed him nuncio earlier this year.

During the plenary, the bishops held a canonical consultation on the causes of beatification and canonization for the Servant of God John Rick Miller, and for Monsignor Joseph Francis Buh. By a voice vote, the bishops affirmed the advancement of both causes of beatification and canonization on the diocesan level.

Two of the action items the bishops voted on during the plenary were put forth by the USCCB’s Committee on Divine Worship:

• The bishops voted 184 in favor, 1 against, and 0 abstentions to approve elements of a new edition of the Lectionary for Mass. The approval of this requires a two-thirds vote of the members of the USCCB, with subsequent confirmatio and recognitio by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
• They also voted 187 in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstentions to approve the 2025 Roman Missal-Liturgy of the Hours Supplement. The approval of this requires a two-thirds vote of the members of the USCCB, with subsequent confirmatio by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

Revisions to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People:

The bishops voted 179* in favor, 22 against, and 6 abstentions to approve revisions to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, a comprehensive set of procedures originally established by the USCCB in 2002 to address allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. This revisions address elements of the Charter that the bishops determined to be in need of improvement or further development and align with the Charter’s original intention of safeguarding minors, underscoring the bishops’ continued commitment to addressing the prevention of abuse and ensuring the structures continue to be in place to respond to allegations. In putting forth these revisions, the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People emphasized their attempts to balance its care of and sensitivity to victim-survivors, with an awareness of due-process, the rights of the accused, pertinent aspects of the revised Book VI of the Code of Canon Law, Vos estis lux mundi, and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s Vademecum.

Read Bishop Barry C. Knestout’s introduction of the action item, the final revised text of the Charter, and a Q&A on the revisions.

The plenary agenda also included:

• a reflection on Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Pope John Paul II’s apostolic constitution that guides Catholic colleges and universities on theological and pastoral principles, on the 25th anniversary of its implementation in the United States;
• an update on World Youth Day 2027, to be held in Seoul, South Korea from Bishop Paul Kyung Sang Lee, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Seoul and General Coordinator for World Youth Day Seoul;
• an update from Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt, SEMV, the chairman of the USCCB’s Synod Implementation and Evaluation Task Force;
• a presentation by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre on the feedback received during the bishops’ fraternal dialogues at the November 2025 plenary on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. bishops’ teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics;
• remarks by Bishop William A. Wack on Catholic prison ministry and an invitation to his brother bishops to deepen their engagement with the ministry serving those affected by incarceration and detention;
• an update by Bishop Oscar Cantú on an international pastoral initiative to prepare for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2031.

While not on the public agenda for the plenary, the bishops also held a discussion in executive session on Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, addressing artificial intelligence.

Semi-quincentennial of the United States:
As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this year, the U.S. bishops marked the American semi-quincentennial with a special Mass consecrating the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando. To prepare for the moment, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda, Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, and Archbishop Alexander K. Sample each gave prayerful reflections and insights on the Sacred Heart during the morning public session before the bishops traveled to the basilica for the celebration of Mass. Archbishop William E. Lori delivered the homily. The bishops’ event was intended to be a catalyst for commemorations of the 250th anniversary at the diocesan and local levels.

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