Formalized and organic meeting of the Bishops of a nation, continent or area, which is carried out in accordance with statutes approved by the Holy See. At the beginning of the 21st century there were in the Church, in the world, about 100 Episcopal Conferences that included the almost 3,000 Catholic Bishops
The Law of the Church (Code of Canon Law cc. 441 to 459 and Decree of Vatican II Christus Dominus Ns. 37-38) regulates this organism of cooperation between the Bishops determining its competences, components, regulation norms and extension. Other Church documents have spoken of its importance: “Lumen Gentium” (No. 23), “Ecclesiae Imago” (No. 211), “Ecclesiae Sanctae” (No. 41).
In general, the Episcopal Conferences are organized in Commissions and Secretariats that distribute the shared work that the Bishops must carry out and unify and intercommunicate the Christians of the Dioceses governed by the component Bishops.
Pedro Chico González, Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy, Editorial Bruño, Lima, Peru 2006
Source: Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy
(v. bishops, Synod)
(ESQUERDA BIFET, Juan, Dictionary of Evangelization, BAC, Madrid, 1998)
Source: Dictionary of Evangelization
The origin is usually located, according to experts in the nineteenth century, when the Belgian bishops met for regular consultations. This praxis was imitated by bishops from other geographical latitudes.
The Code of 1917 (c. 292,1) already spoke of Meetings of Metropolitans, that is, of meeting of archbishops.
Vatican II already recognizes this modality, which is regulated in detail in the decree “Christus Dominus” (nn. 37-39).
The 1983 Code expressly speaks of them in cc. 447-459, and is defined as “permanent institution of assembly of the bishops of a given nation or territory who jointly exercise some pastoral functions with respect to the faithful of their territory, to promote, in accordance with the rule of law, the greatest good that the Church it provides to men, above all through forms and modes of apostolate suitably accommodated to the peculiar circumstances of time and place” (C. 447).
Unlike the particular councils or synods that admit the participation of the faithful (c. 443), the episcopal conferences are only made up of bishops. Although, they have and need to have experts and operating agencies to fulfill the entrusted purposes. They are called Secretariats, Subcommissions and Pastoral Departments.
An episcopal conference does not replace the power and teaching of each bishop in his diocese. They exercise, above all, functions of teaching and government in the interdiocesan sphere, although their theological status (their deep identity) and the scope of their authority not only in pastoral and doctrinal matters, but even as “mediation and dialogue” with the governments of each nation in the sense of “healthy decentralization and co-responsibility” within the universal Church. In this sense, it is necessary to walk towards a clarification and balance between the Episcopal Conference and its relationship with the Holy See (Pope), the local bishops and the faithful of a territory.
BIBL. -A. VIANA, Organization of the government in the Church, Eunsa, Pamplona 1995, 190-197.
Raul Berzosa Martinez
Vicente Mª Pedrosa – Jesús Sastre – Raúl Berzosa (Directors), Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Evangelization, Dictionaries “MC”, Editorial Monte Carmelo, Burgos, 2001
Source: Dictionary of Pastoral and Evangelization