In addition to the announcement of dates and locations for Pope Benedict XVI's U.S. visit next year, the U.S. bishops' Nov. 12-15 fall general meeting in Baltimore included the election, for the first time in 36 years, of a cardinal --- Francis E. George of Chicago --- as the next president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The bishops also took the final steps to formalize the new USCCB structure and approved a $147.7 million budget for 2008 and a 16 percent reduction in the diocesan assessment to fund the USCCB. And, the bishops approved new rules on when a bishop must get the consent of his diocesan finance council and college of consultors before certain financial transactions or commitments.

In voting Nov. 13, Cardinal George won the presidency on the first ballot with 188 votes, or 85 percent. Completing his three-year term as vice president, he succeeds Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, whose three-year term ended at the close of the meeting.

Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson was elected vice president, winning a runoff vote against Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee, while Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville Kurtz won as treasurer-elect,

Elected committee chairmen during the meeting were Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of San Antonio, Cultural Diversity in the Church; Archbishop John G. Vlazny of Portland, Ore., National Collections; Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz of Anchorage, Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth: and Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston, Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.

The bishops also chose as chairmen-elect Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Curry of Los Angeles, Committee on Catholic Education; Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Chicago, Canonical Affairs and Church Governance; Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta, Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs; Bishop Richard J. Malone of Portland, Maine, Evangelization and Catechesis; Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, International Justice and Peace; and Bishop Blase J. Cupich of Rapid City, S.D., Protection of Children and Young People.

The meeting's first two days saw the introduction of several items to be dealt with later during the four-day meeting, including a new document on music in worship, catechetical guidelines for chaste living, and the quadrennial updating of the bishops' "Faithful Citizenship" statement.

They accepted recommendations of the USCCB Committee on Priorities and Plans for the interim plans of conference offices and committees, the mandates of 15 permanent subcommittees and the establishment of a permanent subcommittee on Hispanic liturgy and a temporary subcommittee on Africa. They also agreed with little discussion on new bylaws and a new USCCB committee handbook drawn up by their Committee on Canonical Affairs.

By a 221-7 vote Nov. 13, the bishops approved legislation specifying when a bishop must get the consent of his diocesan finance council and college of consultors before certain financial transactions or commitments.

Those circumstances include when a bishop takes out a loan above a certain amount; when he makes a financial settlement above that amount; when he regularly operates or manages a business "not substantially related to the performance of the religious, spiritual, educational or charitable purposes of the church"; when he enters into a contract that could be a conflict of interest for himself or other diocesan officials; and when he files for bankruptcy.

Norms approved by the bishops in 2002 set those thresholds at $500,000 for dioceses with fewer than 500,000 Catholics and $1 million for dioceses with 500,000 or more Catholics.

The canonical norm approved by the bishops must also receive Vatican approval before being implemented.

The day before the meeting began, the bishops gathered for a Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore. The Mass marked the 200th anniversary of Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md. They closed their first day of proceedings with an early evening Mass at the hotel where they were meeting.

---CNS