Grace Thompson
The Catholic Church has several episcopal conferences, also known as bishops' conferences, which are official assemblies of bishops in a given territory. These conferences are generally defined by geographical borders, often national ones, with all the bishops in a country belonging to the same conference. For example, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is a national membership organisation that promotes the greater good of the Catholic Church. It is composed of nearly 200 archdioceses and dioceses, with membership divided into 14 geographically based regions, including the U.S. Virgin Islands. Similarly, there are episcopal conferences for the Pacific, the Indian Ocean, North Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions, Central Asia, Ireland, and more.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholic Bishops' Conferences | More than 40 |
| Example of a Conference | United States Conference of Catholic Bishops |
| Alternative Name | Episcopal Conference |
| First Conference | Swiss Bishops' Conference, founded in 1863 |
| Purpose | Promote the greater good of the Catholic Church |
| Structure | Generally defined by geographic borders, often national ones |
| Membership | All active and retired members of the Catholic hierarchy in the given territory |
| Leadership | Archbishop Timothy Broglio (USCCB President as of January 2025) |
| Frequency of Meetings | Twice a year (USCCB) |
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What You'll Learn
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
An episcopal conference, often also called a bishops' conference or conference of bishops, is an official assembly of Catholic Church bishops in a given territory. More than forty episcopal conferences existed before the Second Vatican Council, and their status was confirmed by the council. Generally, episcopal conferences are defined by geographic borders, often national ones, with all the bishops in a given country belonging to the same conference.
The USCCB is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic hierarchy in the United States and the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands. As of January 2025, the USCCB president is Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese of the Military Services, USA, and the vice president is Archbishop William E. Lori of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Each committee of the USCCB supports the ministry of the bishops, with an emphasis on evangelization. The bishops exercise certain pastoral functions entrusted to them by the Lord Jesus communally and collegially. The U.S. Catholic Church provides the compassion of Christ through health care institutions, schools and universities, charities and social service agencies, and the work of individuals, parish communities, and diocesan entities.
The USCCB has been involved in various issues and discussions. For example, in March 2012, the USCCB decided to "continue its vigorous opposition" to the contraception mandate issued under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. In November 2023, the bishops stated that abortion was a greater threat to life than gun violence, racism, climate change, and inequality in healthcare. The USCCB has also been in ecumenical discussions with the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA) and has discussed the possibility of future theological dialogue between Pentecostalism and Catholicism.
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Bishops' Conferences in the Pacific
An episcopal conference, often also called a Bishops' Conference or Conference of Bishops, is an official assembly of the bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory. These 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 neighbouring countries.
The Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC) is a community of Catholic bishops led by the Holy Spirit to live and promote the Way of Christ and the Tradition of the Church among its multicultural peoples, under the protection of Mary, Mother of Peace. CEPAC includes the bishops of American Samoa, the Carolines Islands, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands.
The bishops of Guam are also part of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific, though they are not included in the CEPAC community. Instead, they are part of a separate grouping of bishops, along with the bishops of the Northern Mariana Islands, who are also in the Pacific region.
In addition to the episcopal conferences as defined by the Holy See, there are a number of other regional groupings of bishops. These include the Synods of Bishops of the Patriarchal and Major Archiepiscopal Churches, and the Council of the Ruthenian Church, U.S.A.
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Indian Ocean Bishops' Conferences
An episcopal conference, often also called a bishops' conference or conference of bishops, is an official assembly of bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory. More than forty episcopal conferences existed before the Second Vatican Council, and their status was confirmed by the Second Vatican Council and further defined by Pope Paul VI's 1966 motu proprio, Ecclesiae sanctae. Generally, episcopal conferences are 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 neighbouring countries.
The Episcopal Conference of the Indian Ocean includes the bishops of Comoros, Mauritius, Réunion, Mayotte, and Seychelles. It is one of the many episcopal conferences established all over the world, each with its own unique structure and organisation.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), for example, is the permanent association of Catholic bishops in India. It was established in September 1944 in Chennai and is now based in New Delhi. The CBCI is a member of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences and serves the different episcopal conferences of three rites and 13 regional councils of bishops. While it is not technically an episcopal conference as prescribed in canon law, it is the face of the Catholic Church in India and addresses the Church's "questions of common concern and of a national and supra-ritual character." The ordinary members of the CBCI include all diocesan and eparchial bishops in India, as well as co-adjutor and auxiliary bishops, and other titular bishops performing special work in the country. As of February 2014, the CBCI had around 180 members and 59 honorary members, serving 167 dioceses.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), on the other hand, is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States, including the bishop of the US Virgin Islands. Founded in 2001 after the merger of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and the United States Catholic Conference (USCC), the USCCB is a registered corporation based in Washington, D.C. As of January 2025, Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese of Military Services, USA, serves as president. The USCCB promotes the greater good which the Church offers humankind and exercises certain pastoral functions entrusted to them by the Lord Jesus, such as sanctifying, teaching, and governing.
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North African Bishops' Conferences
An episcopal conference is an official assembly of Catholic bishops in a given territory. Generally defined by geographic borders, often national ones, all bishops in a given country belong to the same conference. There are more than forty episcopal conferences worldwide.
North African Bishops Conferences
The Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa includes the bishops of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa is also known as the Regional Episcopal Conference de l'Afrique du Nord (CERNA).
The Bishops' Conference of Central Asia includes the bishops of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The Conference of the Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions includes the bishops in the Arab states of the Middle East, North Africa, East Africa, and Cyprus.
The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) is an agency of the Catholic Church that includes the bishops of Africa. SECAM was formed during the Second Vatican Council to unite African bishops, transcending language, historical, and cultural differences.
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Southern African Bishops' Conferences
An episcopal conference, often also called a bishops' conference or conference of bishops, is an official assembly of bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory. Generally defined by geographic borders, often national ones, with all the bishops in a given country belonging to the same conference, they may also include neighbouring countries.
Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference
The Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in Southern Africa. It includes the bishops of South Africa, Botswana, and Eswatini. The SACBC is an association of local ordinaries, other than vicars general, of the Roman Catholic Church in the Republic of South Africa, Botswana, and the Kingdom of Eswatini, their coadjutors, auxiliaries, and other titular local ordinaries.
The SACBC is led by a president and two vice presidents, each elected by an absolute majority of the members for three-year terms. The conference mandates a secretariat to coordinate conference activities, which is made up of departments, offices, and associate bodies. The members also elect chairmen and vice-chairmen for the departments of the conference. All office holders must be diocesan ordinaries; coadjutor bishops, auxiliary bishops, and bishops emeriti may not be elected. The president, vice presidents, department chairmen, and any cardinals who do not hold a conference office form an administrative board that coordinates the conference's activities between its plenary sessions.
The SACBC is empowered to set up departments, commissions, councils, offices, committees, associate bodies, and any other forums for the fostering of special objects and activities in accordance with clearly defined terms of reference but without legislative power. Their work is directed by the Administrative Board, which acts as the Standing Committee of the Conference. The SACBC also has a 51% share in the Catholic weekly newspaper (since 2020, a monthly magazine), "The Southern Cross".
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Frequently asked questions
There are over 40 Catholic Bishops Conferences worldwide.
A Catholic Bishops Conference, also known as an episcopal conference, is an official assembly of bishops of the Catholic Church in a given territory.
Examples of Catholic Bishops Conferences include the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, and the Bishops' Conference of Central Asia.
