The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will gather in January at the suburban Chicago seminary in Mundelein following a request from Pope Francis that they meet in prayer and retreat.
The pope asked that they meet in the wake of the abuse crisis surrounding the Catholic Church.
The US Bishops plan to meet in Baltimore next month, with the current U.S. clergy sex abuse crisis expected to be the major issue on their agenda.
They will gather for seven days in Mundelein starting Jan. 2.
There are proposals for stronger accountability and new standards for bishops who fail to report abuse.
Choosing Mundelein for the January retreat sends one more signal of the close relationship between Cardinal Blase Cupich and Pope Francis.
