The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will gather virtually for the 2020 Fall General Assembly next Monday and Tuesday, November 16-17 in a virtual format.

The livestream of the general assembly will run on Monday, November 16 from 2:30-5:00 PM Eastern Time and on Tuesday, November 17 from 1:00 PM to 2:45 PM Eastern Time.

The public portion of the assembly will begin with an address by the Papal Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre. The bishops will also hear from Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles as he gives his first address as USCCB president.

Changes were made in the schedule in order to accommodate a discussion by the bishops on the Holy See’s report on Theodore McCarrick. Additionally, the bishops will hear a report from the National Review Board which advises the Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People on matters of child and youth protection, specifically on policies and practices. The meeting agenda will include dialogue by the bishops on a pastoral response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a pastoral response to racism. They will discuss and vote on the revised strategic priorities of the USCCB’s 2021-2024 Strategic Plan, the renewal of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, and the USCCB’s budget for 2021.

When the bishops voted this summer to convene the meeting in a virtual format, they also voted to suspend the bylaws of the Conference to allow for paper, mail-in ballots before the November meeting for the election of new committee chairmen for eight standing committees, the new general secretary for the USCCB, and new members for the board of Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Those results will be announced during the plenary.

Broadcast media, please note: there will be no satellite feed available this year. There will also be a press conference livestreamed on Monday, November 16 commencing approximately fifteen minutes after the conclusion of the general session.

Public sessions of general assembly discussions and votes will be available via livestream at http://www.usccb.org/live. News updates, vote totals, texts of addresses and presentations, and other materials will be posted to www.usccb.org/meetings as soon as possible.

Those wishing to follow the meeting on social media are invited to use the hashtag #USCCB20 and follow on Twitter (@USCCB) as well as on Facebook (www.facebook.com/usccb) and Instagram (https://instagram.com/usccb).

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