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In the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the bishops
Bishop (Catholic Church)

In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an Holy Orders Minister who holds the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the faith and ruling the church....
 of a given territory. Episcopal conferences have long existed as informal entities, but were first established as formal bodies by the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council

The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965....
 (Christus Dominus
Christus Dominus

Christus Dominus is the Second Vatican Council Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops. It was approved by a vote of 2,319 to 2 of the assembled bishops and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on October 28 1965....
, 38), and implemented by Pope Paul VI's
Pope Paul VI

Pope Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and monarch of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978....
 1966 motu proprio
Motu proprio

A motu proprio is a document issued by the Pope on his own initiative and personally signed by him.It may be addressed to the whole Church, to part of it, or to some individuals....
 Ecclesiae sanctae. The operation, authority, and responsibilities of episcopal conferences are currently governed by the 1983 Code of Canon Law
Canon law (Catholic Church)

Canon Law, the ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation....
 (see especially ).

The nature of episcopal conferences, and their magisterial
Magisterium

Magisterium is a "teaching authority, of the Roman Catholic Church". The word is derived from Latin magisterium, which originally meant the office of a president, chief, director, superintendent, etc....
 authority in particular, was subsequently clarified by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II John Paul II is widely acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the twentieth century. He has been Pope_John_Paul_II#Role_in_the_fall_of_Communism in bringing down communism in Eastern Europe, as well as significantly improving the Roman Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and A...
's 1998 motu proprio
Motu proprio

A motu proprio is a document issued by the Pope on his own initiative and personally signed by him.It may be addressed to the whole Church, to part of it, or to some individuals....
  which stated that conferences of bishops do not participate in the teaching authority of the college of bishops although individuals bishops do as they are members of the college of bishops which maintains unity with and under the Bishop of Rome, that is, the Pope.






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In the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the bishops
Bishop (Catholic Church)

In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an Holy Orders Minister who holds the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the faith and ruling the church....
 of a given territory. Episcopal conferences have long existed as informal entities, but were first established as formal bodies by the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council

The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965....
 (Christus Dominus
Christus Dominus

Christus Dominus is the Second Vatican Council Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops. It was approved by a vote of 2,319 to 2 of the assembled bishops and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on October 28 1965....
, 38), and implemented by Pope Paul VI's
Pope Paul VI

Pope Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and monarch of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978....
 1966 motu proprio
Motu proprio

A motu proprio is a document issued by the Pope on his own initiative and personally signed by him.It may be addressed to the whole Church, to part of it, or to some individuals....
 Ecclesiae sanctae. The operation, authority, and responsibilities of episcopal conferences are currently governed by the 1983 Code of Canon Law
Canon law (Catholic Church)

Canon Law, the ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation....
 (see especially ).

The nature of episcopal conferences, and their magisterial
Magisterium

Magisterium is a "teaching authority, of the Roman Catholic Church". The word is derived from Latin magisterium, which originally meant the office of a president, chief, director, superintendent, etc....
 authority in particular, was subsequently clarified by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II

Pope John Paul II John Paul II is widely acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the twentieth century. He has been Pope_John_Paul_II#Role_in_the_fall_of_Communism in bringing down communism in Eastern Europe, as well as significantly improving the Roman Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and A...
's 1998 motu proprio
Motu proprio

A motu proprio is a document issued by the Pope on his own initiative and personally signed by him.It may be addressed to the whole Church, to part of it, or to some individuals....
  which stated that conferences of bishops do not participate in the teaching authority of the college of bishops although individuals bishops do as they are members of the college of bishops which maintains unity with and under the Bishop of Rome, that is, the Pope. Consequently, a conference of bishops cannot make doctrinal declarations unless it receives two-thirds approval of the individual bishops of the conference and receives the subsequent recognitio, that is, recognition of approval, of the Holy See. Thus, while a conference of bishops can assist the individual bishops of the conference it cannot substitute for the authority which they individually possess.

Episcopal conferences are generally defined by geographic borders, with all the bishops in a given country belonging to the same conference — which might also include neighboring countries. Certain tasks and authority are assigned to episcopal conferences, particularly with regard to setting the liturgical
Liturgy

A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to their particular traditions. The word may refer to an elaborate formal ritual such as the Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy and Mass , or a daily activity such as the Muslim salat and Jewish Jewish services....
 norms
Norm (sociology)

A Social norm is the sociology term for the behavioral expectations and cues within a society or group. They have been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors....
 for the Mass
Mass (liturgy)

The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, and in some largely High Church Lutheranism Lutheranism regions, including the Scandinavian and Baltic states countries....
. Episcopal conferences receive their authority under universal law or particular mandates. In certain circumstances, as defined by canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)

Canon Law, the ecclesiastical law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation....
, the decisions of an episcopal conference are subject to ratification from the Holy See
Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church....
. Individual bishops do not relinquish their authority to the conference, and remain responsible for the governance of their respective diocese
Diocese

In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglicanism, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a bishop. It is also referred to as a bishopric or Episcopal Area or episcopal see, though strictly the term episcopal see refers to the domain of ecclesiastical authority officially held by the bi...
.

Episcopal Conferences


This is a partial list of episcopal conferences:

Africa
  • Conférence Episcopale Nationale du Congo
  • Kenya Episcopal Conference
  • Namibian Catholic Bishops' Conference
  • Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference
    Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference

    The Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference is an episcopal conference consisting of all the bishops of the Catholic Church in South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland, and their equivalents under canon law ....
  • Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference
  • Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa (CERNA)
Asia
  • Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions (CELRA)
  • Chinese Catholic Bishops Conference
    Chinese Catholic Bishops Conference

    In 1958, the People's Republic of China's communist government appointed two Catholic bishops to be consecrated without approval from the Holy See. Since then, the Catholic Church in China has been controlled by a government-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, that opposes submission to the Holy See and the Pope....
  • Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
    Catholic Bishops' Conference of India

    Catholic Bishops' Conference of India , first convened in September 1944 in Madras , is an Episcopal Conference of Catholic Bishops of India. Currently contains thousands of black people like Yazmin....
  • Conference of Catholic Bishops of India
  • Bishops' Conference of Indonesia
  • Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan
  • Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei
  • Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
    Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines

    The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines is the official organization of the Roman Catholic Church episcopacy in the Philippines. Angel Lagdameo is the current president....
Europe
  • Konferenca Ipeshkvnore e Shqipërisë
  • Conférence épiscopale de Belgique
  • Biskupska Konferencija Bosne i Hercegovine
  • Ceská biskupská konference
  • Croatian Bishops' Conference
    Croatian Bishops' Conference

    The Croatian Bishops' Conference is an episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in Croatia. It was established in 1993....
  • Conference of the German Bishops
    Conference of the German Bishops

    The German Bishops' Conference assembles the bishops of all Roman Catholic dioceses in Germany. Members include diocesan bishops, coadjutors, diocesan administrators and auxiliary bishops....
  • Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
    Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales

    The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is the Episcopal Conference of the Catholic Church in England and Wales....
  • Conferencia Episcopal Española
  • Conférence des évêques de France
    Conférence des évêques de France

    The Conf?rence des ?v?ques de France is the Episcopal Conference of Roman Catholic Church Bishop of France....
  • Irish Bishops Conference
    Irish Bishops Conference

    The Irish Bishops' Conference is the official gathering of the Catholic Bishops in Ireland. Irish Bishops Conferences generally take place a number of times a year in Maynooth, County Kildare, the location of St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Ireland's national Catholic Seminary....
  • Conferenza Episcopale Italiana
    Conferenza Episcopale Italiana

    The Italian Episcopal Conference is the episcopal conference of the Italy bishops of the Catholic Church and as such is the is the official assembly of all the bishops in Italy....
  • Magyar Katolikus Püspöki Konferencia
  • Konferenza Episkopali Maltija
  • Nederlandse Bisschoppenconferentie
  • Österreichische Bischofskonferenz
  • Polish Episcopal Conference
    Polish Episcopal Conference

    Polish Episcopal Conference is the central organ of Catholic Church in Poland. It is composed of 5 cardinals, 24 archbishops and 104 bishops....
  • Conferência Episcopal Portuguesa
  • Scandinavian Bishops Conference
    Scandinavian Bishops Conference

    The Scandinavian Bishops Conference is an episcopal conference of Roman Catholic bishops covering the Nordic countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland....
  • Bishops' Conference of Scotland
    Bishops' Conference of Scotland

    The Bishops' Conference of Scotland is an episcopal conference for Roman Catholic bishop in Scotland and is based in Airdrie. The conference is primarily made up of the presiding bishops of Scotland's eight dioceses as well as bishops who have retired....
  • Konferencia biskupov Slovenska
  • Slovenska škofovska konferenca
  • Conférence des Evêques Suisses
  • Conference of the Roman Catholic Bishops of Ukraine
North America
  • Antilles Episcopal Conference
    Antilles Episcopal Conference

    The Antilles Episcopal Conference is a Roman Catholic episcopal conference. Its members are Bishops and Archbishops from current and former United Kingdom, Netherlands, and France colonies and dependencies in the Caribbean , Central America, and northern South America....
  • Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
    Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

    The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is the national assembly of the Bishops of the Catholic Church in Canada. It was founded in 1943 and was officially recognized by the Holy See in 1948....
  • Conferencia Episcopal de Costa Rica
  • Conferencia Episcopal de Guatemala
  • Mexican Episcopal Conference
    Mexican Episcopal Conference

    The Mexican Episcopal Conference is an organization of Catholic bishops, known as an episcopal conference. It is the official leadership body of the Catholic Church in Mexico....
  • Conferencia Episcopal de Nicaragua
  • United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
    United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

    The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the official leadership body of the Roman Catholicism in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in the United States....
Oceania
  • Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
  • New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference
  • Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea & Solomon Islands
South America
  • Argentine Episcopal Conference
    Argentine Episcopal Conference

    The Argentine Episcopal Conference is an episcopal conference of the Roman Catholic Church of Argentina that gathers the bishops of the country in order to discuss pastoral issues and in general all matters that have to do with the Church....
  • Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil
  • Conferencia Episcopal de Colombia
  • Conferencia Episcopal Ecuatoriana
  • Conferencia Episcopal Peruana
  • Conferencia Episcopal del Uruguay
  • Conferencia Episcopal Venezolana
Latin America
  • Conference of Latin American Bishops
    Conference of Latin American Bishops

    The Conference of Latin American Bishops was a bishops conference held in 1968 in Medell?n, Colombia. In this conference the bishops agreed that the church should take "a preferential option for the poor." The bishops decided to form Christian base communities in which they would teach the poor how to read by using the Bible....
  • Latin American Episcopal Conference
    Latin American Episcopal Conference

    The Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano , also known as CELAM, is a Episcopal Conference of the Roman Catholic Church Bishop of Latin America, created in 1955 in Rio de Janeiro....


Footnotes



See also

  • Episcopal see
    Episcopal See

    An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral....
  • by Giga-Catholic Information
  • Sullivan, Francis
    Francis A. Sullivan

    Francis Aloysius Sullivan, S.J., is a Roman Catholic Church theologian and a Jesuit priest. He is best known for his research in the area of ecclesiology and the magisterium....
    . "The Teaching Authority of Episcopal Conferences", Theological Studies, v. 63, 2002, pp. 472-493.