Atlanta, Ga., Jun 13, 2012 / 15:16 pm
Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the Pope's representative to the United States, urged the American bishops to view the difficulties facing the Church as an opportunity to unite in defense of the faith.
Current challenges to the faithful can be seen "providentially, as an invitation to the entire Church in the United States" to adopt "an attitude of deep communion with the local bishop, in filial obedience to the Successor of Peter," the archbishop said at a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
This is particularly true for the Church's "consecrated religious" and "educational institutions," he said.
The papal diplomat, who is officially known as the apostolic nuncio, addressed the conference on June 13, the first day of the bishops' three-day spring general assembly in Atlanta, Ga.