Bishops' conference

areas will take longer than others to he generally agreed on, in order io avoid delays, he said the bishops had decided that those accepted should be allowed come into being when they had received permission. Bishop Woriock said the conference had spent "many hours discussing liturgy," later adding that though "all change was disturbing, this is not to say that it hold not take place."
The conference agreed to set up a permanent Liturgical Secretariat for the Liturgical Commission, staffed by two priests yet to be appointed, with an office expected to be in London.
The Liturgical Commission currently has one part-time priest working as general secretary in Leeds. Bishop Wheeler of Leeds, who ends his five-year term as president of the Commission later this year, will be succeeded by Bishop Gray, Auxiliary of Liverpool, formerly vice-president, with Bishop Alexander of Clifton becoming vice-president.
The bishops said a programme of instruction for the new ICEL translation of the Order of Penance would begin in the autumn. It will be published early next year and the work of informing priests about the content and meaning of the new rite will continue throughout the summer,
The new ministries of "lector" and "acolyte" having been introduced in England and Wales, the bishops are consulting with clergy and laity about introducing other formal ministries, such as that of "catechist."
The theme of caring was common to many of the conference's decisions this week and it accepted a report from the Social Welfare Commission on the pastoral care of the offender, which will be made generally available shortly.
The bishops "discussed at length the need for pastoral compassion and sensitivity in caring for the mentally handicapped," the Press statement said.
"They were anxious that those most expert in the care of such people should deepen the understanding of priests, parents and indeed the whole Catholic community, about the possibilities of leading the handicapped to a fuller sacramental life."
The conference agreed that they would press, along with other denominations, for the appointment of a Government Minister for the Elderly and have accepted recommendations of the Social Welfare Commission for the care of the elderly, shortly to be published, Answering Pope Paul's appeal for amnesty of prisoners for Holy Year, the bishops named the Second Sunday of Advent (December 7) as Prisoners Sunday to focus attention on Christian responsibilities towards them.
The bishops named July 13 as Sea Sunday to be celebrated ecumenically with Church of England and Free Church organisations. Mgr Denis
McGuiness was confirmed as head of the Apostleship of the Sea for another three years.
The bishops thanked those who had helped to raise £14,000 for Lourdes Hospital in an appeal made in February and said a special national appeal would he made next year for Hosanna House, a hospital for the handicapped in Lourdes.
The conference expressed its pleasure at the 070,842 raised for the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development from Iwo special family fast days last year, an increase of one-third on the 1973 total.
The bishops cited the example of Fr Patrick O'Mahoney's parish of Shirley, Solihull, in helping the Third World and called attention to the Catholic Truth Society pamphlet by him.
The bishops said: The needs of the Third World are so immense and urgent that the bishops do not hesitate to call on their people for still greater efforts in this work of justice and charity" and encouraged the organisation of Friday selfdenial groups.
They called on the Justice and Peace Commission "to deepen its study of the subjects of world hunger and its longterm implications and of the armaments trade."
The National Catholic Fund, half of whose revenue goes to finance lay organisations, will have to provide £140,000 this year to keep pace with inflation, an increase of' £20,000, the bishops said.
Bishop Worlock said the conference was spent "dealing with a very large number of pastoral and administrative matters" and some of the decisions were not for immediate release. The Catholic Information Office describes the conference, which meets twice a year, as "a private consultative meeting," a sort of Cabinet for the Church.
The bishops discussed the two reports from the joint bishops National Conference of Priests working parties on pastoral strategy (Church 2000) and priests working conditions (Co-responsibility and the Clergy) and various NCP resolutions submitted to them.
Their responses will be published after the NCP have seen them, but the conference said a sickness and retirement benefits policy had been agreed on for priests in England and Wales.
Bishop Warlock said Catholic education was also discussed but no statement was made, though the bishops have agreed to encourage teachers to join the Catholic Teachers Federation. A statement may later be forthcoming on Catholic relations with the British Council of Churches, which the conference decided against joining last year.
The conference received a report from Mrs Mary Pyne, British member of the Vatican International Commission on Women in Society, Drawing on suggestions made to them by women's organisations, the bishops said proposals for the observance of International Women's Year would soon be published.