The Diocese of Kalibo in Aklan province will be hosting the plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) this coming July 8 to 10.
Monsignor Bernardo Pantin, CBCP Secretary General, said it will be a period of prayer, sharing, reflections and deliberations concerning the Church and society.
Slated to be held at the Marzon Hotel, the 126th CBCP plenary assembly will be preceded with the bishop’s annual retreat from July 4 to 6.
Pantin said among the agenda of the meeting is the election of CBCP officers for the term December 2023 to November 2025.
Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan and Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of Pasig are currently on their first terms as president and vice president, respectively.
CBCP officials have a two-year term in office, or a total of four to include a possible second term.
Pantin said that other agenda items of the meeting are still to be decided by the CBCP Permanent Council in the coming weeks.
Decisions ranging from election of CBCP officers to subject matters of pastoral statements and revision of liturgical books require either a simple majority, or a vote of two-thirds of the member bishops to be approved.
Active bishops are eligible to vote on particular items. Retired bishops are welcome to attend the assemblies and participate in discussion, but they are not eligible to vote.
The episcopal conference is currently composed of 88 active bishops. It also has 37 honorary members, who are retired or resigned bishops, and two diocesan priest administrators.
The bishops also make use the gathering to meet with other prelates of their region to discuss items that are more specific to their individual dioceses.
The plenary assembly, which is the highest decision-making body of the CBCP, meets twice a year, in January and July
Between plenary assemblies, the deliberations and decisions of the conference are undertaken by its Permanent Council.
