Public Witness
Subtitle: The Pastoral Letters of the American Catholic Bishops (Michael Glazier Books)
Publisher: Liturgical Press
Published: March 2004
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 232
ISBN-13: 9780814658338
Subjects: Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church; Pastoral letters and charges; Christianity - Church Administration - General; Religion; Religion - Catholicism; United States - General; USA; Christianity - History - Catholic; Christianity - Catholicism; Christian Church - Church Administration; Christianity - Catholic; Catholic Church; Doctrines; United States
First sentence: THE TRADITION OF ISSUING A JOINT PASTORAL LETTER from the bishops to all American Catholics began at the time of the nation's founding.
Description: "Since 1792 the Catholic bishops of the United States have published joint pastoral letters at periodic intervals. These letters were initially missives directed toward validating the patriotism and succoring support of the faithful within a society antagonistic toward their religion. As immigration increased, and the frontier expanded, the bishops sought to balance the tension between civic assimilation and preservation of the faith." "The twentieth century brought a marked change in their letters, as the bishops gained confidence in seeking to expand their sphere of influence toward a broader public. The letters began to address issues of public policy, with notable statements on nuclear weapons and economic capitalism. However, their attempt to produce a statement on women was the first failure in two centuries of such discourse. This overview provides a historic context for the production of these letters and their reception by the public and the press."--BOOK JACKET.