Roman Catholic bishop groups complete their merger

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States Catholic Conference completed their merger and will be known as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Monsignor William Fay, the conference general secretary, said the renaming will not affect activities or programs, but will simply change how the conference is identified. The groups were combined to streamline operations, spokesman William Ryan said.

The conference works on a range of Catholic issues, from prayer and priestly life, to economic and social problems.