Archbishop made invitation to USCCB 'two or three years ago;' decision to host general assembly unrelated to election, he says

DETROIT — One piece of news that was lost in the shuffle during the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ meeting in Baltimore last month — when Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron was elected vice president of the USCCB — is that the Motor City will be the host of the bishops’ next gathering in June 2020.

The location of the semi-annual meeting is “sheer coincidence” and unrelated to the archbishop’s election, he told Detroit Catholic during a recent interview.

“I made the invitation to the conference two or three years ago,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “I talked it over with our auxiliary bishops and other people in leadership, and we thought it would be a good idea. We’re proud of our city and proud of our church. We’re happy to host.”

The U.S. bishops hold two general assemblies each year, one in June and one in November. The November meeting takes place in Baltimore, where the conference is headquartered, while the June meeting frequently rotates.

The Detroit meeting, which takes place from June 10-12, will include a solemn Mass celebrated at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Archbishop Vigneron said.

Archbishop Vigneron said hosting won’t require a lot of preparation from the Archdiocese of Detroit, as the national conference handles most logistical details.

“They have this down to a science,” Archbishop Vigneron said.

While his election as vice president didn’t impact the decision to host the June meeting, Archbishop Vigneron said he’s looking forward to serving his brother bishops in a new way.

As vice president, he said, his role is largely to follow the lead of the president — the bishops elected Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez — and to carry out any tasks he might delegate. The vice president would also serve in the president's stead if needed.

Archbishop Vigneron had high praise for Archbishop Gomez, who is the first Hispanic bishop to hold the conference's highest leadership position.

“He’s a very thoughtful man. He’s 100 percent a priest, and he’s very pastoral. I think he’ll bring that concern to his leadership of our conference,” Archbishop Vigneron said, adding he's known Archbishop Gomez since the latter was an auxiliary bishop in Denver in the early 2000s. “Obviously, he’s very immersed in the matter of the pastoral care of Hispanic people in the United States, and I think that’s very important in this time in our history.”

As the bishops face a new slate of priorities for the next three years, Archbishop Vigneron said he and Archbishop Gomez will be focused on supporting the conference in any way they can.

As outgoing conference secretary and chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Priorities and Plans, Archbishop Vigneron had a hand in drafting the strategic priorities the bishops will pursue from 2021-24, which he said were a reflection of the feedback the committee received from the entire body of bishops.

Those priorities involve four main categories: evangelization, protecting the dignity of the human person, bishops’ accountability and ensuring safe environments, and helping the faithful respond to their vocation, Archbishop Vigneron said.

Among the most significant tasks facing the bishops is the implementation of Pope Francis’ motu proprio, Vos Estis Lux Mundi. Promulgated in May, the papal document mandates reforms in the way the Church handles allegations of sexual abuse, including new stringent reporting requirements and oversight structures.

Archbishop Vigneron said the conference’s leadership will support bishops in implementing the reforms, but also stressed it is each individual bishop’s responsibility to ensure change is enacted.

“We’re trying to do the very best we can to make sure that we implement the motu proprio in the most effective possible way, but in a coordinated way,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “We’re going to try to have it ready as soon as we can, and to have it be very well publicized so that people know this is available.”

As that work continues, Archbishop Vigneron said it’s imperative for the bishops to continue to make evangelization a top priority, given recent reports about declining church attendance and the rise of the so-called “nones.”

Several bishops have commended the work of the Archdiocese of Detroit and its evangelization movement, Unleash the Gospel, as dioceses across the country seek new ways to foster authentic encounters with Christ, Archbishop Vigneron said.

“A number of bishops have told me they think (Unleash the Gospel) is a good model,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “In particular, I think what a lot of people find admirable about it is that it’s all-encompassing. As we say, we’re ‘all in.’ I think a lot of the dioceses in the United States are fully determined, as we are, to be on mission. We’re all sharing information with one another about what we’re learning, and what our best practices are.”

Archbishop Vigneron said since his election as vice president, he’s been praying about how he might serve the Church and his brother bishops in his new role.

“I have a deep sense of appreciation for the fact that my peers, my brothers, think well enough of me to entrust me with this level of leadership,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “If they asked me to do this job, I need to think about how I can be of service to them.”