The year of dialogue: an update -- slow starts and promising encounters.

: It is the mission of Catholics for Free Choice (CFFC) to always maintain dialog between their group and any who oppose them. In many areas this has not been easy since the bishops have not been willing to even meet with CFFC group members. However in April the National Conference of Catholic Bishops acknowledged the CFFC movement. It has been the experience of the CFFC that it is not a dichotomy with pro-life on side and pro-choice on the other. They have found a variety of pro-choice positions that require dialog to understand. West Virginia has turned out to be the most promising state in terms of dialog. In Texas requests for dialog from local bishops have been turned down. In Peoria Illinois the chapter of the National Organization of Women proposed a community speak-out on abortion rights and invited the local bishop who declined to come. In Montana discussion is occurring, but the local bishop has publicly denounced the CFFC movement. In Rochester New York Bishop, Matthew Clark, called for a discussion of abortion, birth control, and women's rights, but has yet to conduct such a meeting. Archbishop Rembert Weakland said that rhetoric on the extremes is not helpful. CFFC knows this and is still trying to get the church leaders to at least discuss their views.