An episcopal conference, sometimes called a conference of bishops, is an official assembly of the bishops of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in a given territory. Episcopal conferences have long existed as informal entities. The first assembly of bishops to meet regularly, with its own legal structure and ecclesial leadership function, is the Swiss Bishops' Conference, which was founded in 1863. More than forty episcopal conferences existed before the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

. Their status was confirmed by the Second Vatican Council and further defined by Pope Paul VI's 1966 ''

motu proprio In law, ''motu proprio'' (Latin for "on his own impulse") describes an official act taken without a formal request from another party. Some jurisdictions use the term ''sua sponte'' for the same concept. In Catholic canon law, it refers to a ...

'', ''

Ecclesiae sanctae ''Ecclesiae Sanctae – ''"(Governing) of the Holy Church" – is an apostolic letter or ''motu proprio'' issued by Pope Paul VI on August 6, 1966. Paul wrote this letter on how to implement the Vatican Council, especially as regards the concilia ...

''. Episcopal conferences are generally defined by geographic borders, often national ones, with all the bishops in a given country belonging to the same conference, although they may also include neighboring countries. Certain authority and tasks are assigned to episcopal conferences, particularly with regard to setting the

liturgical Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...

norms for the

Mass Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...

. Episcopal conferences receive their authority under universal law or particular mandates. In certain circumstances, as defined by

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

, the decisions of an episcopal conference are subject to ratification from the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...

. Individual bishops do not relinquish their immediate authority for the governance of their respective

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

s to the conference.

Theological and juridical status

The operation, authority, and responsibilities of episcopal conferences are currently governed by the 1983 Code of Canon Law (see especially canons 447–459) In addition, there are assemblies of bishops which include the bishops of different rites in a nation, both

Eastern Catholic The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of ...

and

Latin Catholic , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

; these are described in canon 322 §2 of the

Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches The ''Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches'' (CCEC; la, Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium, abbreviated CCEO) is the title of the 1990 codification of the common portions of the canon law for the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in the Catholic ...

. The nature of episcopal conferences, and their magisterial authority in particular, was subsequently clarified by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

in his 1998 ''

'', ''Apostolos suos'', which stated that the declarations of such conferences "constitute authentic magisterium" when approved unanimously by the conference; otherwise the conference must achieve a two-thirds majority and seek the , that is, recognition of approval, of the Holy See, which they will not receive if the majority "is not substantial". In the 2013 apostolic exhortation, '' Evangelii Gaudium'',

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

expressed his concern that the intent of the Second Vatican Council, which would give episcopal conferences "genuine doctrinal authority, has not yet been sufficiently elaborated." On September 9, 2017, Pope Francis modified

, granting episcopal conferences specific authority "to faithfully prepare … approve and publish the liturgical books for the regions for which they are responsible after the confirmation of the Apostolic See." The

Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments it, Dicastero per il Culto Divino e la Disciplina dei Sacramenti , type = Dicastery , seal = Coat of arms Holy See.svg , seal_size = 100px , seal_caption = Coat of arms of the Holy See , logo = , p ...

, which formerly had primary responsibility for translations, was ordered to "help the Episcopal Conferences to fulfil their task." On October 22, 2017, the Holy See released a letter that Pope Francis had sent to the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal

Robert Sarah Robert Sarah (; born 15 June 1945) is a Guinean prelate of the Catholic Church. A cardinal since 20 November 2010, he was prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments from 23 November 2014 to 20 Februar ...

, clarifying that the Holy See and its departments would have only limited authority to confirm liturgical translations recognized by a local episcopal conference. In late February, 2018, the

Council of Cardinals The Council of Cardinals (called C9 due to the fact it contained 9 cardinal members for some time), also known as the Council of Cardinal Advisers, is a group of cardinals of the Catholic Church appointed by Pope Francis to serve as his advise ...

and Pope Francis undertook a consideration of the theological status of episcopal conferences, re-reading Pope John Paul II's ''Apostolos Suos'' in the light of Pope Francis's ''Evangelii Gaudium''.

List of episcopal conferences

National episcopal conferences

Source:

Africa

Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé The Episcopal Conference of Angola and São Tomé (Conferência Episcopal de Angola e São Tomé or CEAST) is the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Angola and São Tomé and Principe. It has its headquarters in Luanda. In its pastoral letters, CEAST ...

Episcopal Conference of Benin The local assembly of bishops is the Episcopal Conference of Benin ( French: Catholic Bishops Conférence du Bénin, CEB). The CEB is a member of the Regional Episcopal Conference of Francophone West Africa and Symposium of Episcopal Conferences o ...

Conference of Bishops of Burkina Faso and of Niger The local assembly of bishops is the Episcopal Conference of Burkina Faso and of Niger (French: Episcopal Conférence du Burkina-Niger, CEBN). Its purposes are to coordinate and make dynamic pastoral activities of the Catholic Church in the nations ...

Conference of Catholic Bishops of Burundi The bishops are represented by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Burundi (French: Conférence des évêques catholiques du Burundi, CECAB). The CECAB is a member of the Association des Conférences Episcopal de l'Afrique Centrale (ACEAC) and S ...

National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon The bishops of Cameroon are the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (French: Episcopal Conférence Nationale du Cameroun, CENC). The origins date back to the missionaries of the Episcopal Conference. In fact, the missionaries were the first to ...

Central African Episcopal Conference The local assembly of episcopate is the Central African Episcopal Conference (French: Conférence Episcopal Centrafricaine), established in 1970. The CAEC is a member of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of the Region of Central Africa and S ...

* Episcopal Conference of Chad *

Episcopal Conference of the Congo The assembly of Catholic bishops in the Republic of Congo is the Episcopal Conference of the Congo ( French: Conférence Épiscopale du Congo, CEC). The CEC is a member of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of the Region of Central Africa an ...

Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of the Congo The National Episcopal Conference of the Congo (French: ''Conférence Épiscopale Nationale du Congo'' or CENCO) is the national episcopal conference of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The conference is a member of the Association of Episco ...

* Episcopal Conference of the Côte d'Ivoire *

Episcopal Conference of Equatorial Guinea The local conference of bishops is the Episcopal Conference of Equatorial Guinea (Spanish: Conferencia Episcopal de Guinea Ecuatorial, CEGE). The ECEG is a member of the Association des Conférences Episcopal de la Région de l'Afrique Central (ACE ...

Assembly of Catholic Hierarchs of Ethiopia and Eritrea The Catholic Bishops’ Conference Of Ethiopia And Eritrea, also known as the Episcopal Conference of Ethiopia And Eritrea is an episcopal conference of the Catholic Church. In Ethiopia there are two organizations of Bishops: the Bishops' Confer ...

Episcopal Conference of Gabon The local assembly of bishops is the Episcopal Conference of Gabon ( French: Episcopal Conférence du Gabon, CEG). The ECG is a member of the Association of Episcopal Conferences of the Region of Central Africa and Symposium of Episcopal Conferenc ...

* Inter-territorial Catholic Bishops' Conference of The Gambia and Sierra Leone *

Ghana Bishops' Conference Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

* Episcopal Conference of Guinea *

Episcopal Conference of the Indian Ocean The Episcopal Conference of the Indian Ocean (french: Conférence Épiscopale de l'Océan Indien, italics=yes, CEDOI) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church which includes the following Indian Ocean archipelagic states: Comoros, Maurit ...

Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) is the assembly of bishops of the Catholic Church in Kenya. Its statutes were approved by the Holy See on December 7, 1976. Structure The plenary sessions of the KCCB are attended by all the dioces ...

Lesotho Catholic Bishops' Conference The Lesotho Catholic Bishops' Conference is a member of the Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) and Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). The local bishops are members of the Conference of ...

Catholic Bishops' Conference of Liberia The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Episcopal Conference of Madagascar The Episcopal Conference of Madagascar (CEM) (French: ''Conférence Episcopale de Madagascar'') is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in Madagascar. Founded in 1965, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic hier ...

Episcopal Conference of Malawi The local assembly of bishops is the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (Episcopal Conference of Malawi, ECM), established in 1961. Constituent bodies of the ECM are: the plenary assembly of bishops, the Catholic Secretariat and six committees (Catholic ...

Episcopal Conference of Mali The local conference of bishops is the Episcopal Conference of Mali (French: Episcopal Conférence du Mali, EMC), established in 1970. The CEM is a member of the Regional Episcopal Conference of Francophone West Africa and Symposium of Episcopal C ...

Episcopal Conference of Mozambique The local assembly of bishops is the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique (Portuguese: Conferencia Episcopal de Moçambique, CEM). The ECM is a member of the Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) and Symposium of Episcopal C ...

Namibian Catholic Bishops' Conference The episcopate in Namibia is represented by the Namibian Catholic Bishops Conference of Namibia (Namibian Catholic Bishop's Conference, NCBC), established in 1996. The NCBC is a member of the Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (I ...

Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria is the Catholic episcopal conference of Nigeria. See also * Catholic Church in Nigeria References Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, N ...

* Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa *

Conference of Catholic Bishops of Rwanda The episcopate of the country is the Episcopal Conference of Rwanda (French: Conférence Episcopal du Rwanda, CEPR) that was established on June 6, 1980; previously existed the Assemble Bishops of Rwanda. The conference is a member of the Associat ...

Conference of Bishops of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, and Guinea Bissau The Senegal has not an episcopal conference of their own, but Senegal is part of the episcopate of the Conference of Bishops of Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde, and Guinea Bissau (French: Conférence des Bishop's du Sénégal, de la Mauritanie, du C ...

Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) is an episcopal conference consisting of all the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in South Africa, Botswana, and Swaziland, and their equivalents under canon law (apostolic vicars, a ...

(SACBC) *

Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference The Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference (SCBC) consists of all the archbishops and bishops of South Sudan and Sudan. Conference history The first meeting of the Ordinaries of Sudan held in Khartoum in late 1929, during the visit of the Apostolic ...

Tanzania Episcopal Conference The Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) is the conference of bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Tanzania. Founded in 1956, the Episcopal Conference was officially recognized by the government in 1957. It includes all the Catholic bishops of ...

Episcopal Conference of Togo {{expand language, topic=, langcode=it, otherarticle=Chiesa cattolica in Togo, date=November 2017 The local conference of bishops is the Episcopal Conference of Togo (French: Episcopal Conférence du Togo, CET). The CET is a member of the Regional ...

Uganda Episcopal Conference The Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC) or Episcopal Conference of Uganda is the local conference of Roman Catholic bishops in Uganda, established in 1960. The UEC acts primarily through the Uganda Catholic Secretariat in an effort to promote and ...

Zambia Episcopal Conference The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops, known before 2016 as the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) was established in 1965. The statutes of the Conference were approved by the Holy See on April 2, 1984. The ZCCB is a member of the Association of ...

Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference The country's Catholic bishops met in the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference, ZCBC), established by the Holy See on October 1, 1969. The statutes of the Conference were approved on March 25, 1981. The ...

Asia

Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines HQ Manila

Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions The Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arabic Regions (CELRA) (French: Conférence des Evêques Latins dans les Régions Arabes) is an episcopal conference of the Catholic Church which gathers the Latin Church bishops in the Arab States of the ...

Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh is the episcopal conference of Bangladesh. History The CBCB was founded in 1971. The purpose of this Conference is to facilitate common policy and action in matters that affect or are liable to affect ...

Bishops' Conference of Central Asia The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Central Asia is the episcopal conference of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and also covering the Catholic structures of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. History In Kazakhstan from 2003 existed the Bishops' ...

(includes the bishops of

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the east. ...

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan ( or ; tk, Türkmenistan / Түркменистан, ) is a country located in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the sout ...

and

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...

) *

Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference The Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference (CRBC; ), is the episcopal conference of Taiwan and is the highest organ of the Roman Catholic Church in Greater China. Catholics in the independent jurisdictions of Hong Kong, Macau and Mongolia are rep ...

Conference of Catholic Bishops of India The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India or CCBI, is the national episcopal conference of the bishops of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in India, functioning in accordance with canon 447. There are 132 Latin Catholic dioceses in the ...

(CCBI) *

Bishops' Conference of Indonesia The Bishops' Conference of Indonesia (BCI; Indonesian: KWI/Konferensi Waligereja Indonesia) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic bishops of Indonesia. It was constituted in November 1955, in Surabaya with the name MAWI. KWI is a part of th ...

(KWI) *

Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan ( Japanese: カトリック中央協議会, Hepburn: ''Katorikku Chūo Hyōgikai''), also abbreviated as the CBCJ, is the Catholic episcopal conference of Japan, representing predominantly the members o ...

Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea is the Catholic episcopal conference of Korea. List of presidents * Thomas F. Quinlan, S.S.C.M.E., Bishop of Chunchon (1959–1964) *Paul Roh Ki-nam, Archbishop of Seoul (1964–1967) *Victorinus Youn K ...

Episcopal Conference of Laos and Cambodia {{short description, None The Catholic Church in Laos and Cambodia, both former French colonies in Indochina (Southeast Asia), consists solely of an entirely missionary Latin hierarchy, which is joined in a single Episcopal conference of Laos and C ...

Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei (C.B.C.M.S.B.) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic bishops of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. The B.C.M.S.B reviews the position of the Church in Malaysia, Singapor ...

(CBCMSB) *

Catholic Bishops' Conference of Myanmar The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Myanmar (CBCM), formerly the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Burma, is the episcopal conference of Myanmar (also called Burma). Composition The Conference consists of various commissions, agencies, councils and ...

* Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan *

Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines; ceb, Hugpong sa mga Obispo nga Katoliko sa Pilipinas; bcl, Komperensya kan mga Obispo Katoliko kan Pilipinas; hil, Komperensya sang mga Obispo Katoliko sang Pilipinas; ilo, Kumperensya ti ...

Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Episcopal Conference of Turkey Episcopal Conference of Turkey is the committee meeting of the Catholic bishops in Turkey of the various ritual churches. It is a member of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE), and a guest member of the Southeast European Bishops ...

Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka is the episcopal conference of Sri Lanka. As of June 2022 the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka is Bishop Harold Anthony Perera, the bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Kurunega ...

Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam (abbreviated as CBCV; also known as the Episcopal Conference of Vietnam) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic bishops of Vietnam. Initially created in 1960s for South Vietnam, and officially re-fou ...

Europe

Episcopal Conference of Albania The Albanian Bishops' Conference (KISH) ( sq, Konferenca Ipeshkvnore e Shqipërisë; la, Conferentia Episcopalis Albaniæ) is an episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in Albania. The conference is organized by Archbishop Angelo Massafra, A ...

Austrian Bishops' Conference The Austrian Bishops' Conference (german: Österreichische Bischofskonferenz) is the official assembly of the Roman Catholic bishops of Austria. It is the supreme authority of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria, established as a formal body und ...

Conference of Catholic Bishops of Belarus Conference of Catholic Bishops of Belarus is the collective body of the national church and the administration of the Catholic Church in Belarus. It was established and approved on February 11, 1999. The first chairman was Cardinal Kazimierz Świ� ...

* Episcopal Conference of Belgium *

Bishops' Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Bishops' Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( hr, Biskupska Konferencija Bosne i Hercegovine) is the permanent assembly of Catholic bishops in Bosnia and Herzegovina founded in 1994 by the Holy See. The president of the Conference is electe ...

Episcopal Conference of Bulgaria Episcopal conference of Bulgaria (Latin: Conferentia episcoporum Bulgariæ) is an ecclesiastical institution, consisting of bishops of the Catholic dioceses in the country. It is bi-ritual because it includes in its composition dioceses in Latin a ...

Croatian Bishops' Conference The Croatian Bishops' Conference ( hr, Hrvatska biskupska konferencija; la, Conferentia Episcoporum Croatiae) (HBK) is an episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in Croatia. The Conference was founded on May 15, 1993 after Croatia regained it ...

Czech Bishops' Conference The Czech Bishops' Conference () is the standing conference of the Catholic bishops of the Czech Republic. Based in Prague, the CBC represents the Catholic Church in the Czech Republic, both in Bohemian and Moravian provinces of the Roman Catholi ...

Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Overview The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is the permanent assembly of Catholic Bishops ...

Bishops' Conference of France The Bishops' Conference of France (french: Conférence des évêques de France) (CEF) is the national episcopal conference of the bishops of the Catholic Church in France. Presidents Presidents of the Assembly of Cardinals and Archbishops of Fr ...

(CEF) *

German Bishops' Conference The German Bishops' Conference (german: Deutsche Bischofskonferenz) is the episcopal conference of the bishops of the Roman Catholic dioceses in Germany. Members include diocesan bishops, coadjutors, auxiliary bishops, and diocesan administrato ...

Holy Synod of Catholic Bishops of Greece The Holy Synod of Catholic Bishops of Greece ( el, Ιερά Σύνοδος της Καθολικής Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος, ) is the Episcopal Conference (association of Catholic bishops) in Greece. It is a member of the Council ...

Catholic Bishops' Conference of Hungary Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference (HCBC) (in Hungarian: Magyar Katolikus Püspöki Konferencia) is the Episcopal Conference of Catholic bishops of Hungary. The Bishops' Conference After the Second Vatican Council the Hungarian Catholic Bis ...

Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference ( ga, Comhdháil Easpag Caitliceach Éireann) is the episcopal conference of the Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland. The conference meets a number of times a year in Maynooth which is the location of St Patr ...

Italian Episcopal Conference The Italian Episcopal Conference ( it, Conferenza Episcopale Italiana) or CEI is the episcopal conference of the Italian bishops of the Catholic Church, the official assembly of the bishops in Italy. The conference was founded in 1971 and carrie ...

(CEI) *

Latvian Bishops' Conference Latvian Bishops' Conference ( lv, Latvijas Bīskapu konference) is the national Roman Catholic Bishops' Conference in Latvia. It is headquartered in Riga and is a member of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) and the Commission of ...

Lithuanian Bishops' Conference Lithuanian Bishops' Conference ( lt, Lietuvos vyskupų konferencija) is the official meeting of Catholic bishops in Lithuania. It has its seat in Vilnius. The Episcopal Conference is a member of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) ...

br>
*

Maltese Episcopal Conference Maltese Episcopal Conference ( mt, Il-Konferenza Episkopali Maltija) is the official Catholic Church, Catholic bishops' meeting in the Republic of Malta. Its president, as of 2016 is Charles J. Scicluna, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malta, Arc ...

Bishops' Conference of the Netherlands The Bishops' Conference of the Netherlands ( nl, Nederlandse Bisschoppenconferentie) is a permanent body within the Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands which determines policies and directs the apostolic mission within the Netherlands. It i ...

Polish Episcopal Conference The Polish Episcopal Conference or Polish Bishops' Conference ( pl, Konferencja Episkopatu Polski) is the central organ of the Catholic Church in Poland. It is composed of 2 cardinals, 28 archbishops and 118 bishops. Members ** President – abp ...

Portuguese Episcopal Conference The Portuguese Episcopal Conference ( pt, Conferência Episcopal Portuguesa) is a collective body of the national church and the administration of the Roman Catholic Church in Portugal. The Portuguese Episcopal Conference performs certain pastoral ...

* Romanian Episcopal Conference *

Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Russian Federation Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Russian Federation is a collective body of the national church and the administration of the Roman Catholic Church in Russia. Established and approved on March 2, 1999. Plenary Plenary sessions of the Confere ...

International Bishops' Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius The International Bishops' Conference of Saints Cyril and Methodius is the Catholic episcopal conference that includes Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia together in a cross-border conference. Permanent members are the Catholic bishops ...

(called "Bishops' Conference of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" between 1997 and 2005. Includes the bishops of

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

, and Macedonia.) **

Bishops' Conference of Yugoslavia {{Unreferenced, date=June 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) The Bishops' Conference of Yugoslavia was an episcopal conference of the Catholic Church covering the territory of Yugoslavia. The first such bishops' conference was held in the Kingdom of Se ...

(1918—1993) *

Scandinavian Bishops Conference The Nordic Bishops' Conference ( la, Conferentia Episcopals Scandiæ) is an episcopal conference of Roman Catholic bishops covering the Nordic countries of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. At present, it has 12 members who represen ...

(includes the bishops of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

) *

Bishops' Conference of Scotland The Bishops' Conference of Scotland (BCOS), under the trust of the Catholic National Endowment Trust, and based in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, is an episcopal conference for archbishops and bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. The ...

Conference of Slovak Bishops The Conference of Bishops of Slovakia (Konferencia biskupov Slovenska) (KBS), was established on 23 March 1993, and is composed of the Catholic Bishops Roman Catholic in the Slovak Republic. Slovak Slovak Greek Catholic Church, Greek Catholic (Byza ...

Slovenian Bishops' Conference Slovenian Bishops' Conference (SBC; sl, Slovenska škofovska konferenca, ) is the supreme authority of the Roman Catholic Church in Slovenia, which combines all the bishops of Slovenian dioceses and archdioceses: Archdiocese of Ljubljana, Archdi ...

Spanish Episcopal Conference The Spanish Episcopal Conference ( es, Conferencia Episcopal Española, ca, Conferència Episcopal Espanyola) is an administrative institution composed of all the bishops of the dioceses of Spain and Andorra, in communion with the Roman Pontiff a ...

Swiss Bishops Conference The Swiss Bishops' Conference (SBC; german: Schweizer Bischofskonferenz; french: Conférence des évêques suisses; it, Conferenza dei vescovi svizzeri; rm, Conferenza dals uvestgs svizzers) is the coordinating body of the Catholic dioceses in ...

Ukrainian Episcopal Conference The Catholic bishops of Ukraine divide into 2 different conferences. There is the Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops in Ukraine ( Ukrainian: Конференція Римо-Католицьких Єпископів України, Latin: Conferen ...

Oceania

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference The Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ACBC) is the national episcopal conference of the Catholic bishops of Australia and is the instrumentality used by the Australian Catholic bishops to act nationally and address issues of national s ...

New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference The New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference (NZCBC; mi, Te Huinga o ngā Pīhopa Katorika o Aotearoa) is an episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in New Zealand that gathers the bishops of the country in order to discuss pastoral issues and ...

Episcopal Conference of the Pacific The Episcopal Conference of the Pacific ( la, Conferentia Episcopalis Pacifici) (CEPAC) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church that includes the bishops of several islands in Oceania. The CEPAC is a member of the Federation of Catholic ...

(C.E. PAC.) *

Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

North America

* Antilles Episcopal Conference *

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB; french: Conférence des évêques catholiques du Canada) 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 ...

(CCCB) *

Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica The Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica ( es, Conferencia Episcopal de Costa Rica), consisting of the Bishops of Costa Rica, is a permanent institution, with the approval of the Holy See, to signify the collegial spirit and live, study and solve prob ...

Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba The episcopate is the Cuban Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba (Spanish: Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Cuba, COCC). The COCC is a member of the Latin American Episcopal Conference. List of presidents of the Bishops' Conference: 1958 - ...

Conference of the Dominican Episcopate The Conference of the Dominican Episcopate (Spanish: ''Conferencia del Episcopado Dominicano'', CED) is the body of the Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic. In 1954 arose the first Episcopal National Commission of the Dominican Republic, which ...

(CED) *

Episcopal Conference of El Salvador The episcopate of the country is called the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador (Spanish: Conferencia Episcopal de El Salvador, CEDES). ECES is a member of the Latin American Episcopal Conference and the Central Episcopal Secretariate Central of ...

Episcopal Conference of Guatemala The Episcopal Conference of Guatemala ( es, Conferencia Episcopal de Guatemala, CEG) is the Roman Catholic Episcopal Conference An episcopal conference, sometimes called a conference of bishops, is an official assembly of the bishops of the Cathol ...

* Episcopal Conference of Haiti *

Episcopal Conference of Honduras The Episcopal Conference of Honduras ( es, Conferencia Episcopal de Honduras, italic=unset) is an institution of the Catholic Church that brings together the bishops of Honduras to establish policies and programs for pastoral government. Function ...

* Conference of the Mexican Episcopate (CEM) *

Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua The Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua ( es, Conferencia Episcopal de Nicaragua, CEN) is the episcopate of Nicaragua. The CEN is a member of the Latin American Episcopal Conference and the Central Episcopal Secretariate of America (CESA). Bishops ...

Episcopal Conference of Panama The Episcopal Conference of Panama is the union of all the bishops of Panama, which in turn are the holders of each diocese. The Episcopal Conference of Panama forms a single Ecclesiastical Province, which consists of: An Archdiocese: * Roman Cath ...

Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference The Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference ( es, Conferencia Episcopal Puertorriqueña) (CEP)
GCatholic.org website. Ret ...

(CEP) *

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...

(USCCB)The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops includes the bishop of the U.S. Territory of the Virgin Islands, but ''not'' the bishops of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the three U.S. dependencies in the Pacific (U.S. Commonwealth of the

Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI; ch, Sankattan Siha Na Islas Mariånas; cal, Commonwealth Téél Falúw kka Efáng llól Marianas), is an unincorporated territory and commonw ...

, U.S. Territory of

American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...

, and U.S. Territory of

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

South America

Argentine Episcopal Conference The Argentine Episcopal Conference ( es, Conferencia Episcopal Argentina) 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 tha ...

(CEA) *

Bolivian Episcopal Conference The episcopate of the country is the Bolivian Episcopal Conference ( es, Conferencia Episcopal Boliviana, CEB). Its highest authority is the plenary assembly of bishops, acting through the Permanent Council of Bishops, which coordinates the activi ...

National Conference of Bishops of Brazil The National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Portuguese: Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil, CNBB) brings together the Catholic Bishops of Brazil, as the Code of Canon Law, "jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the fait ...

(CNBB) * Episcopal Conference of Chile (CECh) *

Episcopal Conference of Colombia The Episcopal Conference of Colombia is an administrative institution and permanence of the Catholic Church, composed of all the bishops of the dioceses of Colombia in a college, in communion with the Roman Pontiff and under his authority to ex ...

* Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference * Paraguayan Episcopal Conference *

Peruvian Episcopal Conference The Peruvian Episcopal Conference ( es, Conferencia Episcopal Peruana) is an episcopal conference of the Roman Catholic Church of Peru that gathers the bishops of the country in order to discuss pastoral issues and in general all matters that have ...

* Episcopal Conference of Uruguay *

Venezuelan Episcopal Conference The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference (CEV) ( es, Conferencia Episcopal Venezolana) is a permanent institution. Its stated aim is, according to Second Vatican Council, associated with the Bishops of the Republic to exercise together, as an express ...

Other episcopal bodies

In addition to the episcopal conferences as defined by the Holy See, there are a number of other regional groupings of bishops:

Synods of eastern rite churches

Synods of Bishops of the Patriarchal and Major Archiepiscopal Churches *Synod of the Armenian Catholic Church *Synod of the Chaldean Church *Synod of the Catholic Coptic Church *Synod of the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian Church *Synod of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church *Synod of the Romanian Church *Synod of the Syrian Catholic Church *Synod of the Syro-Malabarese Church *Synod of the Syro-Malankarese Church *Council of the Ethiopian Church *Council of the Ruthenian Church, U.S.A. *Council of the Slovakian Church

Assemblies of bishops

National assemblies of Hierarchs of Churches Sui Iuris (including eastern Catholic as well as Latin ordinaries) *Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchy of Egypt *Assembly of the Catholic Bishops of Iraq *Assembly of the Patriarchs and Bishops of Lebanon *Assembly of the Catholic Hierarchs of Syria *Assembly of the Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land *Iranian Episcopal Conference * Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI)

International Meetings of Episcopal Conferences

Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the East The Council of Catholic Patriarchs of the Orient (French: Conseil des Patriarches Catholiques d'Orient, CPCO) is an agency of the Catholic Church that meets the patriarchs of Eastern Catholic Churches and the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Permanent ...

* Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar *

Regional Episcopal Conference of Francophone West Africa The Regional Episcopal Conference of Francophone West Africa (French: Episcopal Conférence Régionale de l'Afrique de l'Ouest Francophone, CERAO) is an agency of the Catholic Church which includes the bishops of Western Africa. History The CERAO ...

*Association of Episcopal Conferences of Central Africa *

Association of Episcopal Conferences of the Region of Central Africa Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa The Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) is the association of episcopal conferences of Eastern Africa and the coordinating body of the Catholic dioceses. The AMECEA was established in 1961, with Cardinal Archbish ...

*Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa *Reunion of Episcopal Conferences of West Africa *

Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences The Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) is an association of episcopal conferences of Catholic Church in South, Southeast, East and Central Asia. The federation fosters solidarity and joint responsibility for the welfare of the Church a ...

Federation of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Oceania A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governi ...

( FCBCO) *

Council of European Bishops' Conferences The Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe ( la, Consilium Conferentiarum Episcoporum Europae;,CCEE) is a conference of the presidents of the 33 Roman Catholic episcopal conferences of Europe, the Archbishop of Luxembourg, the Archbishop ...

(CCEE) *

Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union, formerly the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community, ( la, Commissio Episcopatuum Communitatis Europaeae; COMECE) is the association of Catholic Church e ...

(COMECE) *

Latin American Episcopal Council Based in Bogotá (Colombia), the Latin American Episcopal Council ( es, Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano; pt, Conselho Episcopal Latino-Americano), better known as CELAM, is a council of the Roman Catholic bishops of Latin America, created in 19 ...

(CELAM) *Episcopal Secretariate of Central America and Panama

References

External links

List of all episcopal conferences
by Giga-Catholic Information
The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church
by David M. Cheney {{Authority control Catholic canonical structures