U.S. Bishops Vote to Prioritize Evangelizing the Unaffiliated and Youth

 Out of the U.S. Bishops' Conference 2024 fall general assembly comes a new mission directive to guide the conference's work from 2025--2028, which places an emphasis on reaching the religiously unaffiliated, disaffiliated,, and young people, the Crux website reports today (Nov. 14, 2024). 

The new mission directive, which was overwhelmingly approved on Nov. 13 in a 225 --7 vote, states : "Responding even more deeply to the call to proclaim the Gospel and form Missionary Disciples, the Committees and Staff of the USCCB will prioritize  the work of the Conference to help equip bishops, clergy, religious, and the laity in evangelizing those who are religiously unaffiliated from the Church, with special focus on young adults and the youth.

The new mission directive was presented by Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, the Secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, during the Nov. 12 public session. There, Coakley told his fellow bishops that the directive does not replace the work that is mandated by each USCCB committee, but instead "asks that each committee find new and creative ways in which it can dedicate time and effort to address the mission directive." 

"This proposed mission directive directs the work and resources of the conference, requiring each committee to prioritize ways in which it can help aid bishops,  priests, and laity in evangelizing the disaffiliated ," Coakley explained.