USCCB statements on other political topics are harming the campaign for religious freedom

Thank you Phil for restating the obvious. You'd think, among other things, the USCCB could have learned years ago from the focus of a certain Democrat whose mantra/focus helped win an election: "It's the economy, stupid!" How about "It's the Constitution, patriot?"

It is the office of the bishop to teach the faith. It is the office of the laity to reform the social order. There has been a roll reversal. Immediately after the Council the bishops moved to DC and began setting in place a mind boggling social agenda over which they had neither competence nor mandate. (If one wants confirmation of this just look through the table of contents of the volumes of Pastoral letters of the United States Catholic Bishops. I’m looking at volume V, 1983-1988 as I key this.) The bishops long ago were referred to as the "Democratic Party at prayer." But for the life of me I don’t see what prayer had to do with it! But what I do know is the neglect of the religious formation of the flock is the central fact in the Catholic Church in the United States since the Council ended. And the bishops are to blame! Our own bishops acknowledged “the grim harvest of our catechetical efforts” in their 1988 “Pastoral Statement for Catholics on Biblical Fundamentalism.” Now, twenty four years latter it has only worsened. At this point Catholic identity hardly exists possibly for the great majority of Catholics within the United States. We already know via HPR’s follow-up to Pew’s Religious Landscape Survey we have lost about 20,750,000 cradle Catholics—and that does not include non-practicing Catholics. We also know from Pew’s Religious Knowledge Survey that Catholics are second only to Muslims in ignorance of their faith. And we also know our ecclesiastical lemmings keep right on marching into the sea of religious irrelevancy by talking about everything except what is their mandate and that is the care of the flock by the teaching of faith. At this point I believe the question is now simply this. Are we dealing with shear stupidity on the part of some of our bishops or bad faith? If it is the latter, it is a direct attack against the Body of Christ. Perhaps all of us should read Cardinal Dulles,’ “The Population of Hell.” There are only two final possibilities beyond the grave.

I say this with deadly seriousness, it is not the "staff" that is the problem. The Bishops themselves freely choose to do what they do... We are NOT bishops, and so far as I know no bishop has freely chosen to enter into Catholicculture dialogue..., nothing prevents them from doing so you know.And again I say with deadly seriousness, the Second Person CHOSE to enter into the "dialogue" of our existence. Our AMERICAN biships CHOOSE to remain aloof and medieval,giving commands through "statements"

Don't eliminate the staff. Just move them to one of those empty foundries on the Ohio river near Steubenville, Ohio. Each month they get four envelopes with paper and stamps which they can use at their discretion to publish what ever they deem important. They won't be needing phones, internet or computers. In the spirit of Saint Francis they can share the one pencil that they can use as needed.

"Parkinson's law applies: work expands to fill the time available for its completion." The problem is is that "a statemnt" DOES NOT "finish a work..." "And the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us..." God certainly knew how to engage all of our problems. God wanted "liberty" for us..., and He got it..!

Parkinson's law applies: work expands to fill the time available for its completion. They have a public policy staff, which keeps busy---mostly retyping press releases from the DNC onto USCCB letterhead. When you eliminate the staff, you will eliminate the problem; not before.