By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
In a recent Catholic Messenger Conversations recording, Bishop Dennis Walsh spoke about his experiences at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Fall Plenary Assembly in Baltimore and the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis. He also spoke about his holiday plans.
During the fall assembly in November, U.S. bishops voted overwhelmingly to approve a Special Message addressing their concern for the evolving situation impacting immigrants in the United States. It was the first such message in 12 years; the last one issued in 2013 was in response to the contraceptive mandate that was part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
“Many of our bishops have heard from their people about living in fear,” Bishop Walsh said. Governments have the right to regulate migration, “but in doing so, they always have to make sure and provide due process for everybody involved, as well as respect for human dignity.” Bishop Walsh said the special message was intended to assure the faithful “that we’ve heard their concerns and we express our concern and dismay about the actions of the administration regarding immigration.”
During the podcast, Bishop Walsh reiterated his belief that Catholics “have to be careful that their conscience is not being formed by their political platforms.” He said there’s a real risk of people dismissing Church teaching as opinion or “just another voice that’s out there.”
Just before Thanksgiving, the bishop attended the National Catholic Youth Conference for the first time. “I was just blown away by the enthusiasm and the large number (of attendees),” he recalled. “I think it’s good, first of all, for young people to see that the Church is larger than their parish community,” where they might not encounter many people their own age.
“For a young person just to be in that atmosphere of joy and excitement about the faith… I think it builds faith and inspires them,” he added.
The bishop also commented on his lighter schedule during the holiday season. While it tends to be a busy time for parish priests, “It’s a pretty quiet time as a bishop.” He considers the brief respite a good opportunity to catch up on reading, praying and personal growth.
Listen to this and other Catholic Messenger Conversations podcasts at www.catholicmessenger.net/podcasting or on your favorite podcasting app.
