MEETING IN U.S. OF DOCTRINAL COMMISSIONS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 4, 1999 (VIS) - A delegation from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, led by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, will be in San Francisco, U.S.A., from February 9 to 12 for a meeting with the presidents of the doctrinal commissions of North America and Oceania.

According to a communique released today, Cardinal Ratzinger will be joined by Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, secretary, and three congregation officials. The San Francisco meeting follows similar encounters in Bogota in 1984, Kinshasa 1987, Vienna 1989, Hong Kong 1993 and Guadalajara 1996.

"The aim of the meeting," adds the communique, "is above all to become better acquainted with the realities of the religious situation in North America and in Oceania and to reflect in this regard with local bishops. It is also hoped to further promote the functioning of the doctrinal commissions of the episcopal conferences, as well as their regular and systematic collaboration with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the light of the circular on doctrinal commissions of November 25, 1990 and the Motu proprio 'Apostolos Suos'."

The agenda includes the following addresses: Cardinal Ratzinger on "Subjectivism, Christology and the Church," Archbishop Bertone on the Church's Magisterium and the "Professio fidei" and a talk by the head of the congregations's section on collaboration between this dicastery and the doctrinal commissions of the episcopal conferences.

Bishops from North America and Oceania will speak on three topics: the figure of the theologian in a Catholic university in the light of the Motu proprio "Ad tuendam fidem," the question of feminism and the question of homosexuality.

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