The Lepanto Institute denounced that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is associated with the controversial Association of U.S. Catholic Priests (AUSCP), a group accused of promoting positions contrary to the Magisterium of the Church. According to the AUSCP‘s own statement, the episcopal conference asked this organization to organize a virtual consultation on the USCCB’s Lay Document, scheduled for September 17, 2025.
Open Promotion of Doctrines Contrary to the Faith
The Lepanto Institute recalls that the AUSCP defends the ordination of women, the blessing of homosexual unions, and theories that alter the nature of the priesthood. During its annual assembly in June 2025, held in San Antonio, affiliated priests went so far as to speak publicly about masturbation as a form of prayer, without any objection being recorded in the room. The event was recorded in audio and transcription by the Institute itself.
The Role of the North American Episcopate
The AUSCP states that the USCCB not only approved the initiative but expressly requested the participation of bishops in the listening sessions. In the event announcement, the association details that it will feature the intervention of Paul Jarzembowski, associate director of the USCCB’s Secretariat for Laity, and the presentation by Sister Marie Kolbe Zamora, former official of the Synod’s General Secretariat in Rome.
The Lepanto Institute emphasizes that this is not a misunderstanding: the official documentation, registration forms, and internal communications clearly show the episcopal conference’s name as a partner in this initiative.
Precedents of Collaboration
According to the Lepanto Institute‘s investigation, the relationship between the USCCB and the AUSCP is not new. In 2022, the USCCB’s Office of Certification for Ecclesial Ministries participated as a speaker at the AUSCP’s annual assembly. Its then-director, Marc DelMonico, not only attended the event but is publicly listed as an associate member of the AUSCP and has spoken at its virtual conferences.
Bishops such as John Wester (Santa Fe) and John Stowe (Lexington) appear officially linked to the AUSCP as consultants or members, which reinforces the impression of hierarchical complicity.
Episcopal Silence in the Face of Scandal
The Lepanto Institute confirmed that it requested clarifications from the USCCB and its president, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, regarding the nature of this collaboration. The request, sent on September 10, included documentary evidence and offered a response deadline. To date, no reply has been received from either the presidency or the episcopal conference’s communications office.
This silence amounts to tacit consent that leaves the faithful unprotected against doctrinal confusion. In their words, «accompanying without truth is not compassion, it is betrayal.»