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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 16 noveMber 2020
In a moment of turmoil, US Catholic bishops meet virtually

By DAVID CRARY the Trump administration.
AP National Writer He drew criticism last week
Catholic bishops of the from some staunch con-
United States open a na- servatives for congratulat-
tional meeting Monday ing the Democratic ticket
under dramatic circum- of Joe Biden and Kamala
stances. Harris for their victory in the
A pandemic has com- presidential election.
pelled them to meet vir- Biden, who is a practic-
tually from their far-flung ing Catholic, has been re-
dioceses. A hard-fought viled by some members
presidential election has of the faith, including sev-
caused sharp divisions in eral conservative bishops,
their own ranks. And six for supporting abortion
days before the meeting, rights even while saying
the Vatican released a re- he personally accepts the
velatory report detailing church's teachings against
how clerics in the U.S. and the procedure.
abroad failed to hold ex- "A dark cloud has descend-
Cardinal Theodore McCar- ed on this nation when the
rick to account until many USCCB and Planned Par-
years after suspicions of se- enthood speak in unison
rial sexual misconduct had In this Sunday, June 7, 2020 file photo, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez celebrates the the Solemnity in support of a Biden-Harris
become widespread. of the Most Holy Trinity Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles. administration that sup-
"The shadow of the Mc- Associated Press ports the slaughter of inno-
Carrick report hangs over of an investigation in 2000, and one of the confer- how the church can best cents by abortion," Bishop
this meeting," said John just a few months before ence's top advisers on the respond to the coronavirus Joseph Strickland of Tyler,
Gehring, Catholic program he became a cardinal and prevention of clerical sex pandemic and to racism Texas, tweeted Tuesday,
director at a Washington- archbishop of Washington. abuse, National Review and racial inequality. alluding to Gomez's state-
based clergy network The bishops will discuss the Board chair Suzanne Healy. A budget for 2021 is ex- ment.
called Faith in Public Life. McCarrick report twice Gehring noted that the pected to be approved, Bishop Richard Stika of
McCarrick, who was de- Monday, first in a private U.S. bishops already vary in though some bishops may Knoxville, Tennessee, has
frocked by Pope Francis session and later in a pub- their views of Pope Francis, point out that their dioces- suggested, also on Twitter,
last year, headed up dio- lic livestream, according to with some skeptical of his es are suffering financially that Biden supports "the ul-
ceses in Metuchen and the communications office exhortations on issues such as attendance and offer- timate child abuse."
Newark, New Jersey, and of the U.S. Conference of as climate change and ings have declined during And during the election
in Washington, D.C. The Catholic Bishops. social justice, and said it's the pandemic. campaign, Bishop Thomas
report found that three de- Among the opening speak- important to avoid having This is the bishops' first na- Tobin of Providence, Rhode
cades of bishops, cardinals ers at USCCB's two-day the latest McCarrick rev- tional meeting since No- Island, openly questioned
and popes dismissed or meeting will be its presi- elations further divide the vember 2019, when Gomez Biden's faith: "Biden-Harris.
downplayed reports of Mc- dent, Los Angeles Arch- U.S. church. was elected the USCCB's First time in a while that the
Carrick's misconduct with bishop José Gomez. He "It will be a disservice to first Hispanic president. A Democratic ticket hasn't
young men. has described the report as survivors if bishops allow scheduled June gathering had a Catholic on it. Sad,"
For U.S. clergy, one of the "another tragic chapter in the report to create even was canceled because of he tweeted.
most embarrassing revela- the Church's long struggle more factions and fissures," the coronavirus. USCCB policy discourages
tions was that three New to confront the crimes of Gehring said. "They need to Gomez is considered a bishops from endorsing po-
Jersey bishops — all now sexual abuse by clergy." address the moral and sys- pragmatic conservative in litical candidates, and Rev.
deceased — provided "in- Other scheduled speakers temic failures revealed in terms of church doctrine, James Martin, a prominent
accurate and incomplete include the Vatican's am- the report head-on." though he has made clear Jesuit priest, said such com-
information" about McCar- bassador to the U.S., Arch- Also on the meeting's his dismay over restrictive ments appear to violate
rick to the Vatican as part bishop Christophe Pierre, agenda are discussions of immigration policies during that. q

Baltimore to pay about $8M in police corruption settlement

BALTIMORE (AP) — Balti- Board of Estimates has ap- a young Black man who Burley crashed with anoth- undeniably framed by a
more officials are set to proved several settlements died a week after he was er vehicle, killing Davis. conspiracy of at least four
approve a roughly $8 in recent weeks stemming critically injured in police Burley spent seven years police officers," the men's
million settlement to two from the misconduct of custody and whose death in prison, while Matthews attorneys, Steve Silver-
men who went to prison members of the Gun Trace lead to civil unrest. served two-and-half years man, said in a statement.
after drugs were planted Task Force, a once-lauded The proposed payment in- behind bars. Their convic- "It should not take an army
on them a decade ago group that was supposed cludes $6.3 million for Bur- tions were vacated in 2017 of lawyers litigating for
during an encounter with to take guns off the streets ley and Matthews as well after officers cooperating years to right wrongs like
members of a rogue po- of Baltimore. as $1.8 million to pay off a in the federal investiga- this."
lice unit that brutalized, The settlement for Umar lien due to the estate of El- tion into the task force told The investigation into the
robbed and falsely arrest- Burley and Brent Matthews bert Davis, which sued Bur- authorities that a member task force has led to the
ed residents. is the largest settlement in ley. Burley and Matthews of the unit had spoken of convictions of more than
The city's spending board connection with the task encountered task force drugs being planted in the a dozen officers. Hundreds
is scheduled to take up the force and surpasses the members in 2010 during incident. of criminal cases based
settlement Wednesday, amount paid in 2015 to an illegal traffic stop that "Mr. Burley and Mr. Mat- on their work have been
news outlets reported. The the family of Freddie Gray, led to a high-speed chase. thews were overtly and dropped or vacated.q