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HagiaSophia
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“Anytime a local bishop denies Communion to a politician because of his stand on abortion, the decision can have “national ramifications,” Bishop Donald W. Wuerl of Pittsburgh said in a statement exploring ways the U.S. bishops could reach a more united approach to such decisions.”
"…Each bishop has the proper power and responsibility for pastoral ministry and church order in his own diocese, Bishop Wuerl noted. But he stressed that, in the words of the Second Vatican Council, “All the bishops, in fact, have a duty to promote and defend the unity of faith and discipline common to the whole church.”
Commenting on that passage, he said, “There are often specific issues of a doctrinal and moral nature which are current in a territory that, because of the nature of the subject and the wide spectrum of peoples and circumstances that will be affected, necessitate a greater cooperation among the bishops of a given territory.”
"…Bishop Wuerl described the importance of bishops’ conferences in promoting the unity of bishops among themselves and with the pope and fostering collaboration and collegial planning and decision-making among the bishops. But he said that in light of church teaching and law on the responsibilities of diocesan bishops and the limits on the authority of bishops’ conferences, the conference “does not act as a substitute for the diocesan bishop, but, rather, as a help to him.”
Since “there are always going to be national ramifications” to any individual bishop’s way of handling the abortion-and-politicians issue, however, “one may understand the benefit of consultation among the bishops of the episcopal conference for a more effective unity in handling such a matter,” he said.
He proposed two possible ways for the bishops’ conference to find “a practical pastoral manner to express the collegial spirit that is to be the hallmark of episcopal pastoral ministry.”…"
catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0504718.htm
"…Each bishop has the proper power and responsibility for pastoral ministry and church order in his own diocese, Bishop Wuerl noted. But he stressed that, in the words of the Second Vatican Council, “All the bishops, in fact, have a duty to promote and defend the unity of faith and discipline common to the whole church.”
Commenting on that passage, he said, “There are often specific issues of a doctrinal and moral nature which are current in a territory that, because of the nature of the subject and the wide spectrum of peoples and circumstances that will be affected, necessitate a greater cooperation among the bishops of a given territory.”
"…Bishop Wuerl described the importance of bishops’ conferences in promoting the unity of bishops among themselves and with the pope and fostering collaboration and collegial planning and decision-making among the bishops. But he said that in light of church teaching and law on the responsibilities of diocesan bishops and the limits on the authority of bishops’ conferences, the conference “does not act as a substitute for the diocesan bishop, but, rather, as a help to him.”
Since “there are always going to be national ramifications” to any individual bishop’s way of handling the abortion-and-politicians issue, however, “one may understand the benefit of consultation among the bishops of the episcopal conference for a more effective unity in handling such a matter,” he said.
He proposed two possible ways for the bishops’ conference to find “a practical pastoral manner to express the collegial spirit that is to be the hallmark of episcopal pastoral ministry.”…"
catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0504718.htm