WASHINGTON (AP) — A proposal by several Roman Catholic bishops to hold an extraordinary church council in response to the clerical sex abuse crisis will not be put to a vote when the nation's bishops meet in November.
The top executives of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops decided last week that the idea needed more study, said Sister Mary Ann Walsh, a conference spokeswoman.
A report on the idea will be presented to the bishops in their semiannual meeting this fall in Washington, Walsh said.
The suggested gathering, called a plenary council, would be the first such meeting since 1884. Supporters want the council to affirm church teachings on birth control, sex and priestly celibacy. Besides all U.S. bishops, the gathering could include lay people and representatives of religious orders and schools.