BALTIMORE – From literally the first minute of this morning's business, the meeting was thrown into disarray given a sudden call from Rome....
Lest anyone forgot, if the Pope had his way from the outset, this plenary wouldn't be taking place.
On a separate front, within minutes of the shift of plans – which clearly rattled the Floor – two Whispers ops relayed another significant change: long slated to be held in Santa Barbara, California, the bench's standard summer meeting in June 2019 will instead take place here in Baltimore. While no reason was given for the switch-up, the ostensibly larger than normal media presence and need for staff would require a bigger venue than previously foreseen. (Under the usual circumstances, the summer meetings are notorious for low turnout of bishops, aides and observers alike.)
Meanwhile, full texts are posted of Pierre's significant talk and DiNardo's Presidential Address.
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