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Church Documents
Apostolos
Suos
His Holiness
Pope John Paul II
Apostolic Letter issued "Motu Proprio"
On the Theological and Juridical Nature of Episcopal Conferences (1)
May 21, 1998 - Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
CONTENTS II.
Collegial union among Bishops IV.
Complementary norms regarding the Conferences of Bishops
INTRODUCTION 1. The Lord Jesus constituted
the Apostles "in the form of a college or permanent assembly,
at the head of which He placed Peter, chosen from amongst them".(2)
The Apostles were not chosen and sent by Jesus independently
of one another, but rather as part of the group of the Twelve,
as the Gospels make clear by the repeatedly used expression,
"one of the Twelve".(3) To all of them together the
Lord entrusted the mission of preaching the Kingdom of God,(4)
and they were sent by Him, not individually, but two by two.(5)
At the Last Supper Jesus prayed to the Father for the unity of
the Apostles and of those who through their word would believe
in Him.(6) After His Resurrection and before the Ascension, the
Lord reconfirmed Peter in the supreme pastoral office (7) and
entrusted to the Apostles the same mission which He had Himself
received from the Father.(8) With the descent of the Holy Spirit
on the day of Pentecost,
the Apostolic College showed itself filled with the new vitality
which comes from the Paraclete. Peter, "standing with the
Eleven",(9) speaks to the crowd and baptizes a large number
of believers; the first community appears united in listening
to the teaching of the Apostles (10) and accepts their decision
in relation to pastoral problems.(11) It was to the Apostles
who had remained in Jerusalem that Paul turned in order to ensure
his communion with them and not risk having run in vain.(12)
The Apostles' awareness that they constituted an undivided body
was also demonstrated when the question arose whether or not
Christians converted from paganism were obliged to observe certain
precepts of the Old Law. At that time, in the community of Antioch,
"Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed
to go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and the elders about this
question".(13) In order to examine the problem the Apostles
and the elders meet, consult one another and deliberate, guided
by the authority of Peter, and finally issue their decision:
"It has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay
upon you no greater burden than these necessary things...."(14) 2. The saving mission which the
Lord entrusted to the Apostles will last until the end of the
world.(15) For this mission to be carried out, in accordance
with Christ's will, the Apostles themselves "were careful
to appoint successors.... Bishops have by divine institution
taken the place of the Apostles as pastors of the Church".(16)
Indeed, in order to carry out the pastoral ministry, "the
Apostles were endowed by Christ with a special outpouring of
the Holy Spirit coming upon them",(17) and by the imposition
of hands they passed on to their assistants the gift of the Holy
Spirit,(18) a gift which is transmitted down to our day through
episcopal consecration".(19) "Just as, in accordance
with the Lord's decree, Saint Peter and the rest of the Apostles
constitute one apostolic college, so in like fashion the Roman
Pontiff, Peter's Successor, and the Bishops, the successors of
the Apostles, are joined to one another".(20) Thus, all
the Bishops in common have received from Christ the mandate to
proclaim the Gospel in every part of the world and are consequently
bound to have concern for the whole Church. So too, for the fulfilment
of the mission entrusted to them by the Lord, they are held to
cooperate with one another and with the Successor of Peter,(21)
in whom the Lord established "the lasting and visible source
and foundation of the unity both of faith and of communion".(22)
The individual Bishops are in turn the source and foundation
of unity in their particular Churches.(23) 3. Without prejudice to the power
which each Bishop enjoys by divine institution in his own particular
Church, the consciousness of being part of an undivided body
has caused Bishops throughout the Church's history to employ,
in the fulfilment of their mission, means, structures and ways
of communicating which express their communion and solicitude
for all the Churches, and prolong the very life of the College
of the Apostles: pastoral cooperation, consultation, mutual assistance,
etc. From the first centuries on,
the reality of this communion has found an outstanding and typical
expression in the holding of Councils. Worthy of mention among
these are, together with the Ecumenical Councils which began
with the Council of Nicaea in 325, the Particular Councils, both
plenary and provincial, which were frequently held throughout
the Church from the second century on.(24) The practice of holding Particular
Councils continued throughout the Middle Ages. Following the
Council of Trent (1545-1563), however, they became less frequent.
Nevertheless, the 1917 Code of Canon Law, seeking to revitalize
so venerable an institution, included provisions for the celebration
of Particular Councils. Canon 281 of that Code spoke of the plenary
Council and laid down that it could be held with the authorization
of the Supreme Pontiff, who would designate a delegate to convene
the Council and preside over it. The same Code called for provincial
Councils to be held at least every twenty years (25) and conferences
or assemblies of the Bishops in each province to be held at least
every five years, in order to deal with the problems of the Dioceses
and prepare for the provincial Council.(26) The new Code of Canon
Law of 1983 retains a considerable body of laws governing Particular
Councils, both plenary and provincial.(27) 4. Alongside the tradition of
Particular Councils and in harmony with it, starting in the last
century, for historical, cultural and sociological reasons, Conferences
of Bishops began to be established in different countries. These
Conferences were set up for specific pastoral purposes, as a
means of responding to different ecclesiastical questions of
common interest and finding appropriate solutions to them. Unlike
Councils, they had a stable and permanent character. The Instruction
of the Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars issued on
August 24, 1889 mentions them expressly by the name "Episcopal
Conferences".(28) The Second Vatican Council, in
the Decree Christus Dominus, not only expressed the hope
that the venerable institution of Particular Councils would be
revitalized (cf. No. 36), but also dealt explicitly with Episcopal
Conferences, acknowledging the fact that they had been established
in many countries and laying down particular norms regarding
them (cf. Nos. 37-38). Indeed, the Council recognized the usefulness
and the potential of these structures, and judged that "it
would be in the highest degree helpful if in all parts of the
world the Bishops of each country or region would meet regularly,
so that by sharing their wisdom and experience and exchanging
views they may jointly formulate a program for the common good
of the Church".(29) 5. In 1966, Pope Paul VI, by
the Motu Proprio Ecclesiae Sanctae, called for Episcopal
Conferences to be established wherever they did not yet exist;
those already existing were to draw up proper statutes; and in
cases where it was not possible to establish a Conference, the
Bishops in question were to join already existing Episcopal Conferences;
Episcopal Conferences comprising several nations or even international
Episcopal Conferences could be established.(30) Several years
later, in 1973, the Pastoral Directory for Bishops stated once
again that "the Episcopal Conference is established as a
contemporary means of contributing in a varied and fruitful way
to the practice of collegiality. These Conferences admirably
help to foster a spirit of communion with the Universal Church
and among the different local Churches.(31) Finally, the Code
of Canon Law, promulgated by me on January 25, 1983, established
specific norms (Canons 447-459) regulating the objectives and
the powers of Episcopal Conferences, as well as their erection,
membership and functioning. The collegial spirit which inspired
the establishment of Episcopal Conferences and guides their activity
is also the reason why Conferences of different countries should
cooperate among themselves, as the Second Vatican Council recommended
(32) and the subsequent canonical legislation reaffirmed.(33) 6. Following the Second Vatican
Council, Episcopal Conferences have developed significantly and
have become the preferred means for the Bishops of a country
or a specific territory to exchange views, consult with one another
and cooperate in promoting the common good of the Church: "in
recent years they have become a concrete, living and efficient
reality throughout the world".(34) Their importance is seen
in the fact that they contribute effectively to unity between
the Bishops, and thus to the unity of the Church, since they
are a most helpful means of strengthening ecclesial communion.
Even so, the growing extent of their activities has raised some
questions of a theological and pastoral nature, especially with
regard to their relationship to the individual Diocesan Bishops. 7. Twenty years after the close
of the Second Vatican Council, the Extraordinary Assembly of
the Synod of Bishops, held in 1985, acknowledged the pastoral
usefulness, indeed the need, in the present circumstances of
Episcopal Conferences. It also observed that "in their manner
of proceeding, Episcopal Conferences must keep in mind the good
of the Church, that is, the service of unity and the inalienable
responsibility of each Bishop in relation to the universal Church
and to his particular Church".(35) The Synod therefore called
for a fuller and more profound study of the theological and,
consequently, the juridical status of Episcopal Conferences,
and above all of the issue of their doctrinal authority, in the
light of No. 38 of the conciliar Decree Christus Dominus
and Canons 447 and 753 of the Code of Canon Law.(36) The present document also is
a fruit of that study. In strict fidelity to the documents of
the Second Vatican Council, its aim is to set out the basic theological
and juridical principles regarding Episcopal Conferences, and
to offer the juridical synthesis indispensable for helping to
establish a theologically well-grounded and juridically sound
praxis for the Conferences. COLLEGIAL UNION
AMONG BISHOPS 8. In the universal communion
of the People of God, for the service of which the Lord instituted
the apostolic ministry, the collegial union of Bishops shows
forth the nature of the Church. Being on earth the source and
the beginning of the Kingdom of God, the Church is "a lasting
and sure seed of unity, hope and salvation for the whole human
race".(37) Just as the Church is one and universal, so also
is the Episcopacy one and indivisible,(38) extending as far as
the visible structure of the Church and expressing her rich variety.
The visible source and foundation of this unity is the Roman
Pontiff, the head of the episcopal body. The unity of the Episcopacy is
one of the constitutive elements of the unity of the Church.(39)
In fact, through the body of Bishops "the apostolic tradition
is manifested and preserved throughout the world"; (40)
and the essential components of ecclesial communion are the sharing
of the same faith, the deposit of which is entrusted to their
care, the taking part in the same Sacraments, "the regular
and fruitful distribution of which they direct by their authority",(41)
and the loyalty and obedience shown to them as Pastors of the
Church. This communion, precisely because it extends throughout
the whole Church, forms the structure also of the College of
Bishops, and is "an organic reality which demands a juridical
form, and is at the same time animated by charity".(42) 9. Collegially, the order of
Bishops is, "together with its head, the Roman Pontiff,
and never without this head, the subject of supreme and full
power over the universal Church".(43) As it is well known,
in teaching this doctrine, the Second Vatican Council likewise
noted that the Successor of Peter fully retains "his power
of primacy over all, pastors as well as the general faithful.
For in virtue of his office, that is, as Vicar of Christ and
pastor of the whole Church, the Roman Pontiff has full, supreme
and universal power over the Church. And he can always exercise
this power freely".(44) The supreme power which the body
of Bishops possesses over the whole Church cannot be exercised
by them except collegially, either in a solemn way when they
gather together in ecumenical Council, or spread throughout the
world, provided that the Roman Pontiff calls them to act collegially
or at least freely accepts their joint action. In such collegial
acts, the Bishops exercise a power which is proper to them for
the good of their faithful and of the whole Church, and, although
conscientiously respecting the primacy and pre-eminence of the
Roman Pontiff, head of the College of Bishops, they are not acting
as his vicars or delegates.(45) There, it is clear that they
are acting as Bishops of the Catholic Church, for the benefit
of the whole Church, and as such they are recognized and respected
by the faithful. 10. Equivalent collegial actions
cannot be carried out at the level of individual particular Churches
or of gatherings of such Churches called together by their respective
Bishops. At the level of an individual Church, it is in the name
of the Lord that the diocesan Bishop leads the flock entrusted
to him, and he does so as the proper, ordinary and immediate
Pastor. His actions are strictly personal, not collegial, even
when he has a sense of being in communion. Moreover, although
he has the fullness of the power of the Sacrament of Orders,
he does not exercise the supreme power which belongs to the Roman
Pontiff and to the College of Bishops as elements proper to the
universal Church, elements present within each particular Church
in order that it may fully be Church, that is, a particular presence
of the universal Church with all the essential elements pertaining
thereto.(46) At the level of particular Churches
grouped together by geographic areas (by countries, regions,
etc.), the Bishops in charge do not exercise pastoral care jointly
with collegial acts equal to those of the College of Bishops. 11. To provide a correct framework
for better understanding how collegial union is manifested in
the joint pastoral action of the Bishops of a geographic area,
it is useful to recall -- even briefly -- how individual Bishops,
in their ordinary pastoral ministry, are related to the universal
Church. It is necessary, in fact, to remember that the membership
of individual Bishops in the College of Bishops is expressed,
relative to the entire Church, not only in so-called collegial
acts, but also in the care for the whole Church which, although
not exercised by acts of jurisdiction, nonetheless contributes
greatly to the good of the universal Church. All Bishops, in
fact, must promote and defend the unity of faith and the discipline
which is common to the whole Church, and foster every activity
which is common to the whole Church, especially in efforts to
increase faith and to make the light of truth shine on all people.(47)
"For the rest, it is true that by governing well their own
Church as a portion of the universal Church, they themselves
are effectively contributing to the welfare of the whole Mystical
Body, which is also the body of the Churches".(48) Bishops contribute to the good
of the universal Church not only by the proper exercise of the
munus regendi in their particular Churches, but also by
the exercise of the offices of teaching and sanctifying. Certainly the individual Bishops,
as teachers of the faith, do not address the universal community
of the faithful except through the action of the entire College
of Bishops. In fact, only the faithful entrusted to the pastoral
care of a particular Bishop are required to accept his judgement
given in the name of Christ in matters of faith and morals, and
to adhere to it with a religious assent of soul. In effect, "Bishops,
teaching in communion with the Roman Pontiff, are to be respected
by all as witnesses to divine and Catholic truth"; (49)
and their teaching, inasmuch as it transmits faithfully and illustrates
the faith to be believed and applied in living, is of great benefit
to the whole Church. The individual Bishop too, as
"steward of the grace of the supreme priesthood",(50)
in the exercise of his office of sanctifying contributes greatly
to the Church's work of glorifying God and making men holy. This
is a work of the whole Church of Christ, acting in every legitimate
liturgical celebration carried out in communion with the Bishop
and under his direction. 12. When the Bishops of a territory
jointly exercise certain pastoral functions for the good of their
faithful, such joint exercise of the episcopal ministry is a
concrete application of collegial spirit (affectus collegialis),(51)
which "is the soul of the collaboration between the Bishops
at the regional, national and international levels".(52)
Nonetheless, this territorially based exercise of the episcopal
ministry never takes on the collegial nature proper to the actions
of the order of Bishops as such, which alone holds the supreme
power over the whole Church. In fact, the relationship between
individual Bishops and the College of Bishops is quite different
from their relationship to the bodies set up for the above-mentioned
joint exercise of certain pastoral tasks. The collegiality of the actions
of the body of Bishops is linked to the fact that "the universal
Church cannot be conceived as the sum of the particular Churches,
or as a federation of particular Churches".(53) "It
is not the result of the communion of the Churches, but, in its
essential mystery, it is a reality ontologically and temporally
prior to every individual particular Church".(54) Likewise
the College of Bishops is not to be understood as the aggregate
of the Bishops who govern the particular Churches, nor as the
result of their communion; rather, as an essential element of
the universal Church, it is a reality which precedes the office
of being the head of a particular Church.(55) In fact, the power
of the College of Bishops over the whole Church is not the result
of the sum of the powers of the individual Bishops over their
particular Churches; it is a pre-existing reality in which individual
Bishops participate. They have no competence to act over the
whole Church except collegially. Only the Roman Pontiff, head
of the College, can individually exercise supreme power over
the Church. In other words, "episcopal collegiality in the
strict and proper sense belongs only to the entire College of
Bishops, which as a theological subject is indivisible".(56)
And this is the express will of the Lord.(57) This power, however,
should not be understood as dominion; rather, essential to it
is the notion of service, because it is derived from Christ,
the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.(58) 13. Groupings of particular Churches
are related to the Churches of which they are composed, because
of the fact that those groupings are based on ties of common
traditions of Christian life and because the Church is rooted
in human communities united by language, culture and history.
These relationships are very different from the relationship
of mutual interiority of the universal Church with respect to
the particular Churches. Likewise, the organizations formed
by the Bishops of a certain territory (country, region, etc.)
and the Bishops who are members of them share a relationship
which, although presenting a certain similarity, is really quite
different from that which exists between the College of Bishops
and the individual Bishops. The binding effect of the acts of
the episcopal ministry jointly exercised within Conferences of
Bishops and in communion with the Apostolic See derives from
the fact that the latter has constituted the former and has entrusted
to them, on the basis of the sacred power of the individual Bishops,
specific areas of competence. The joint exercise of certain
acts of the episcopal ministry serves to make effective the solicitude
of each Bishop for the whole Church, notably expressed in fraternal
assistance to other local Churches, especially those which are
closer and more needy,(59) and which likewise is conveyed in
the union of efforts and aims with the other Bishops of the same
geographic area, in order to promote both the common good and
the good of the individual Churches.(60) EPISCOPAL CONFERENCES 14. Episcopal Conferences constitute
a concrete application of the collegial spirit. Basing itself
on the prescriptions of the Second Vatican Council, the Code
of Canon Law gives a precise description: "The Conference
of Bishops, a permanent institution, is a grouping of Bishops
of a given country or territory whereby, according to the norm
of law, they jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf
of the Christian faithful of their territory in view of promoting
that greater good which the Church offers humankind, especially
through forms and programs of the apostolate which are fittingly
adapted to the circumstances of the time and place".(61) 15. The Council clearly highlighted
the need in our day for harmonizing the strengths deriving from
the interchange of prudence and experience within the Episcopal
Conference, since "Bishops are frequently unable to fulfill
their office suitably and fruitfully unless they work more harmoniously
and closely every day with other Bishops".(62) It is not
possible to give an exhaustive list of the issues which require
such cooperation but it escapes no one that issues which currently
call for the joint action of Bishops include the promotion and
safeguarding of faith and morals, the translation of liturgical
books, the promotion and formation of priestly vocations, the
preparation of catechetical aids, the promotion and safeguarding
of Catholic universities and other educational centres, the ecumenical
task, relations with civil authorities, the defense of human
life, of peace, and of human rights, also in order to ensure
their protection in civil legislation, the promotion of social
justice, the use of the means of social communication, etc. 16. Episcopal Conferences are,
as a rule, national, that is, they bring together the Bishops
of one country only,(63) since the links of culture, tradition
and common history, as well as the interconnection of social
relations among citizens of the same nation require more constant
collaboration among the members of the episcopate of that territory
than the ecclesial circumstances of another territorial entity
might require. Nevertheless, canonical legislation makes provision
for an Episcopal Conference to "be erected for a smaller
or larger territory so that it includes either the Bishops of
some particular churches constituted in a given territory or
those presiding over particular churches belonging to different
countries".(64) It follows that there can be Episcopal Conferences
of varying territorial extension or of a super-national extension.
The judgement on the circumstances relative to persons or things
which suggest a greater or lesser extension of the territory
of a Conference is reserved to the Holy See. In fact, "after
hearing the Bishops involved, it pertains to the supreme Church
authority alone to erect, suppress or change the Conferences
of Bishops".(65) 17. Since the purpose of the
Conferences of Bishops is to provide for the common good of the
particular Churches of a territory through the collaboration
of the sacred pastors to whose care they are entrusted, every
individual Conference is to include all the diocesan Bishops
of the territory and those who in law are equivalent to them,
as well as coadjutor Bishops and the other titular Bishops who
exercise a special task entrusted to them by the Holy See or
by the Episcopal Conference itself.(66) In the plenary meetings
of the Episcopal Conference, the deliberative vote belongs to
diocesan Bishops and to those who are equivalent to them in law,
as well as to coadjutor Bishops; and this by reason of the law
itself. The statutes of the Conference cannot provide otherwise.(67)
The President and Vice-President of the Episcopal Conference
must be chosen only from among the members who are diocesan Bishops.(68)
As regards auxiliary Bishops and other titular Bishops who are
members of the Episcopal Conference, the statues of the Conference
should determine whether their vote is deliberative or consultative.(69)
In this respect, the proportion between diocesan Bishops and
auxiliary and other titular Bishops should be taken into account,
in order that a possible majority of the latter may not condition
the pastoral government of the diocesan Bishops. However, it
is appropriate that the statutes of Episcopal Conferences allow
for the presence of Bishops emeriti, and that they have a consultative
vote. Particular care should be taken to enable them to take
part in some study Commissions, when these deal with issues in
which a Bishop emeritus is particularly competent. Given the
nature of the Episcopal Conference, a member's participation
in the Conference cannot be delegated to someone else. 18. Every Episcopal Conference
has its own statutes, which it frames itself. These must however
receive the recognitio of the Apostolic See. Among other
things these are "to provide for the holding of plenary
meetings of the Conference as well as for the establishment of
a permanent council, of a general secretariat of the Conference,
and other offices and commissions which in the judgement of the
Conference will help it fulfill its aims more effectively".(70)
Such aims, however, require that an excessively bureaucratic
development of offices and commissions operating between plenary
sessions be avoided. The essential fact must be kept in mind
that the Episcopal Conferences with their commissions and offices
exist to be of help to the Bishops and not to substitute for
them. 19. The authority of the Episcopal
Conference and its field of action are in strict relation to
the authority and action of the diocesan Bishop and the Bishops
equivalent to them in law. Bishops "preside in the place
of God over the flock whose shepherds they are, as teachers of
doctrine, priests of sacred worship and ministers of government.
(...) By divine institution, Bishops have succeeded to the Apostles
as Shepherds of the Church",(71) and they "govern the
particular churches entrusted to them as the vicars and ambassadors
of Christ, by their counsel, exhortations and example, but also
by their authority and sacred power(...). This power, which they
personally exercise in Christ's name is proper, ordinary and
immediate".(72) Its exercise is regulated by the supreme
authority of the Church, and this is the necessary consequence
of the relation between the universal Church and the particular
Church, since the latter exists only as a portion of the People
of God "in which the one catholic Church is truly present
and operative".(73) In fact, "the primacy of the Bishop
of Rome and the episcopal College are proper elements of the
universal Church that are not derived from the particularity
of the churches, but are nevertheless interior to each particular
Church".(74) As part of such regulation, the exercise of
the sacred power of the Bishop "can be circumscribed by
certain limits, for the advantage of the Church or of the faithful".(75)
This provision is found explicitly in the Code of Canon Law where
we read: "A diocesan Bishop in the diocese committed to
him possesses all the ordinary, proper and immediate power which
is required for the exercise of his pastoral office except for
those cases which the law or a decree of the Supreme Pontiff
reserves to the supreme authority of the Church or to some other
ecclesiastical authority".(76) 20. In the Episcopal Conference
the Bishops jointly exercise the episcopal ministry for the good
of the faithful of the territory of the Conference; but, for
that exercise to be legitimate and binding on the individual
Bishops, there is needed the intervention of the supreme authority
of the Church which, through universal law or particular mandates,
entrusts determined questions to the deliberation of the Episcopal
Conference. Bishops, whether individually or united in Conference,
cannot autonomously limit their own sacred power in favor of
the Episcopal Conference, and even less can they do so in favor
of one of its parts, whether the permanent council or a commission
or the president. This logic is quite explicit in the canonical
norm concerning the exercise of the legislative power of the
Bishops assembled in the Episcopal Conference: "The Conference
of Bishops can issue general decrees only in those cases in which
the common law prescribes it, or a special mandate of the Apostolic
See, given either motu proprio or at the request of the
Conference, determines it".(77) In other cases "the
competence of individual diocesan Bishops remains intact; and
neither the Conference nor its president may act in the name
of all the Bishops unless each and every Bishop has given his
consent".(78) 21. The joint exercise of the
episcopal ministry also involves the teaching office. The Code
of Canon Law establishes the fundamental norm in this regard:
"Although they do not enjoy infallible teaching authority,
the Bishops in communion with the head and members of the college,
whether as individuals or gathered in Conferences of Bishops
or in particular councils, are authentic teachers and instructors
of the faith for the faithful entrusted to their care; the faithful
must adhere to the authentic teaching of their own Bishops with
a sense of religious respect (religioso animi obsequio)".(79)
Apart from this general norm the Code also establishes, more
concretely, some areas of doctrinal competence of the Conferences
of Bishops, such as providing "that catechisms are issued
for its own territory if such seems useful, with the prior approval
of the Apostolic See",(80) and the approval of editions
of the books of Sacred Scripture and their translations.(81) The concerted voice of the Bishops
of a determined territory, when, in communion with the Roman
Pontiff, they jointly proclaim the catholic truth in matters
of faith and morals, can reach their people more effectively
and can make it easier for their faithful to adhere to the Magisterium
with a sense of religious respect. In faithfully exercising their
teaching office, the Bishops serve the word of God, to which
their teaching is subject, they listen to it devoutly, guard
it scrupulously and explain it faithfully in such a way that
the faithful receive it in the best manner possible.(82) Since
the doctrine of the faith is a common good of the whole Church
and a bond of her communion, the Bishops, assembled in Episcopal
Conference, must take special care to follow the Magisterium
of the universal Church and to communicate it opportunely to
the people entrusted to them. 22. In dealing with new questions
and in acting so that the message of Christ enlightens and guides
people's consciences in resolving new problems arising from changes
in society, the Bishops assembled in the Episcopal Conference
and jointly exercizing their teaching office are well aware of
the limits of their pronouncements. While being official and
authentic and in communion with the Apostolic See, these pronouncements
do not have the characteristics of a universal Magisterium. For
this reason the Bishops are to be careful to avoid interfering
with the doctrinal work of the Bishops of other territories,
bearing in mind the wider, even world-wide, resonance which the
means of social communication give to the events of a particular
region. Taking into account that the
authentic Magisterium of the Bishops, namely what they teach
insofar as they are invested with the authority of Christ, must
always be in communion with the Head of the College and its members,(83)
when the doctrinal declarations of Episcopal Conferences are
approved unanimously, they may certainly be issued in the name
of the Conferences themselves, and the faithful are obliged to
adhere with a sense of religious respect to that authentic Magisterium
of their own Bishops. However, if this unanimity is lacking,
a majority alone of the Bishops of a Conference cannot issue
a declaration as authentic teaching of the Conference to which
all the faithful of the territory would have to adhere, unless
it obtains the recognitio of the Apostolic See, which
will not give it if the majority requesting it is not substantial.
The intervention of the Apostolic See is analogous to that required
by the law in order for the Episcopal Conference to issue general
decrees.(84) The recognitio of the Holy See serves furthermore
to guarantee that, in dealing with new questions posed by the
accelerated social and cultural changes characteristic of present
times, the doctrinal response will favor communion and not harm
it, and will rather prepare an eventual intervention of the universal
Magisterium. 23. The very nature of the teaching
office of Bishops requires that, when they exercise it jointly
through the Episcopal Conference, this be done in the plenary
assembly. Smaller bodies -- the permanent council, a commission
or other offices -- do not have the authority to carry out acts
of authentic Magisterium either in their own name or in the name
of the Conference, and not even as a task assigned to them by
the Conference. 24. At present, Episcopal Conferences
fulfill many tasks for the good of the Church. They are called
to support, in a growing service, "the inalienable responsibility
of each Bishop in relation to the universal Church and to his
particular Church" (85) and, naturally, not to hinder it
by substituting themselves inappropriately for him, where the
canonical legislation does not provide for a limitation of his
episcopal power in favor of the Episcopal Conference, or by acting
as a filter or obstacle as far as direct contact between the
individual Bishops and the Apostolic See is concerned. The clarifications thus far expressed,
together with the normative adjustments which follow, correspond
to the wishes of the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod
of Bishops of 1985, and they aim at illuminating and making more
efficacious the action of Episcopal Conferences. The Conferences
will opportunely review their statutes in order to bring them
into line with these clarifications and norms, as called for
by the Synod. COMPLEMENTARY NORMS REGARDING
THE CONFERENCES OF BISHOPS Art. 1. In order that the
doctrinal declarations of the Conference of Bishops referred
to in No. 22 of the present Letter may constitute authentic Magisterium
and be published in the name of the Conference itself, they must
be unanimously approved by the Bishops who are members, or receive
the recognitio of the Apostolic See if approved in plenary
assembly by at least two-thirds of the Bishops belonging to the
Conference and having a deliberative vote. Art. 2. No body of the
Episcopal Conference, outside of the plenary assembly, has the
power to carry out acts of authentic Magisterium. The Episcopal
Conference cannot grant such power to its Commissions or other
bodies set up by it. Art. 3. For statements
of a different kind, different from those mentioned in article
2, the Doctrinal Commission of the Conference of Bishops must
be authorized explicitly by the Permanent Council of the Conference. Art. 4. The Episcopal Conferences
are to review their statutes in order that they may be consistent
with the clarifications and norms of the present document as
well as the Code of Canon Law, and they should send them subsequently
to the Apostolic See for recognitio, in accordance with
canon 451 of the Code of Canon Law. In order that the action of Episcopal
Conferences be ever more fruitful in good works, I cordially
impart my Apostolic Blessing. Given in Rome, at Saint Peter's,
on May 21, Solemnity of the Ascension
of the Lord, in the year 1998, the twentieth of my Pontificate.
(1) The Oriental Churches headed
by Patriarchs and Major Archbishops are governed by their respective
Synods of Bishops, endowed with legislative, judicial and, in
certain cases, administrative power (cf. Code of Canons of the
Eastern Churches, Canons 110 and 152): the present document does
not deal with these. Hence no analogy may be drawn between such
Synods and Episcopal Conferences. This document does concern
Assemblies established in areas where there exist several Churches
sui iuris regulated by Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches,
Canon 322, and by their relative Statutes approved by the Apostolic
See (cf. Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, Canon 322, 4;
Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus, Art. 58), to the
extent that these Assemblies are comparable to Episcopal Conferences
(cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Pastoral
Office of Bishops in the Church Christus Dominus, 38). (2) Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium,
19; cf. Mt 10:1-4; 16:18; Mk 3:13-19; Lk 6:13; Jn 21:15-17. (3) Cf. Mt 26:14; Mk 14:10,20,43;
Lk 22:3,47; Jn 6:72; 20:24. (4) Cf. Mt 10:5-7; Lk 9:1-2. (5) Cf. Mk 6:7. (6) Cf. Jn 17:11,18,20-21. (7) Cf. Jn 21:15-17. (8) Cf. Jn 20:21; Mt 28:18-20. (9) Acts 2:14. (10) Cf. Acts 2:42. (11) Cf. Acts 6:1-6. (12) Cf. Gal 2:1-2,7-9. (13) Acts 15:2. (14) Acts 15:28. (15) Cf. Mt 28:18-20. (16) Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium,
20. (17) Cf. Acts 1:8; 2:4; Jn 20:22-23. (18) Cf. 1 Tim 4:14; 2 Tim 1:6-7. (19) Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium,
21. (20) Ibid., 22. (21) Cf. ibid., 23. (22) Ibid., 18. Cf. ibid., 22-23;
Nota explicativa praevia, 2; First Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution Pastor Aeternus, Prologus:
DS 3051. (23) Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium,
23. (24) For some second-century
Councils, cf. Eusebius of Caesarea, Historia Ecclesiastica,
V, 16, 10; 23, 2-4; 24, 8: SC 41, pp. 49, 66-67, 69. Tertullian,
at the beginning of the third century, praises the Greek usage
of celebrating Councils (cf. De Ieiunio, 13, 6: CCL 2,1272).
From the letters of Saint Cyprian of Carthage we learn of different
African and Roman Councils beginning with the second or third
decade of the third century (cf. Epist. 55, 6; 57; 59, 13, 1;
61; 64; 67; 68, 2, 1; 70; 71, 4, 1; 72; 73, 1-3: Bayard (ed.),
Les Belles Lettres, Paris 1961, II, pp. 134-135; 154-159;
180; 194-196; 213-216; 227-234; 235; 252-256; 259; 259-262; 262-264).
For Councils of Bishops in the second and third centuries, cf.
K. J. Hefele, Histoire des Conciles, I, Adrien le Clere,
Paris 1869, pp. 77-125. (25) Cf. Code of Canon Law (1917),
Canon 283. (26) Cf. Code of Canon Law (1917),
Canon 292. (27) Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canons
439-446. (28) Sacra Congregatio Episcoporum
et Regularium, Instructio "Alcuni Arcivescovi",
De collationibus quolibet anno ab Italis Episcopis in variis
quae designantur Regionibus habendis (August 24, 1889): Leonis
XIII Acta, IX (1890), p. 184. (29) Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church
Christus Dominus, 37; cf. Dogmatic Constitution on the
Church Lumen Gentium, 23. (30) Paul VI, Motu Proprio
Ecclesiae Sanctae (August 6, 1966), I. Normae ad exsequenda
Decreta SS. Concilii Vaticani II "Christus Dominus"
et "Presbyterorum Ordinis", No. 41: AAS 58 (1966),
773-774. (31) Congregation for Bishops,
Directory Ecclesiae Imago, De Pastorali Ministerio
Episcoporum (February 22, 1973), 210. (32) Cf. Decree on the Pastoral
Office of Bishops in the Church Christus Dominus, 38,
5. (33) Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon
459, 1. Such cooperation has in fact been fostered by the International
Meetings of Episcopal Conferences, the Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano
(C.E.L.AM.), the Consilium Conferentiarum Episcopalium Europae
(C.C.E.E.), the Secretariado Episcopal de América Central
y Panama (S.E.D.A.C.), the Commissio Episcopatuum Communitatis
Europaeae (COM.E.C.E.), the Association des Conférences
Episcopales de l'Afrique Centrale (A.C.E.A.C.), the Association
des Conférences Episcopales de la Région de l'Afrique
Centrale (A.C.E.R.A.C.), the Symposium des Conférences
Episcopales d'Afrique et de Madagascar (S.C.E.A.M.), the Inter-Regional
Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (I.M.B.S.A.), the Southern
African Catholic Bishops' Conference (S.A.C.B.C.), the Conférences
Episcopales de l'Afrique de l'Ouest Francophone (C.E.R.A.O.),
the Association of the Episcopal Conferences of Anglophone West
Africa (A.E.C.A.W.A.), the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences
in Eastern Africa (A.M.E.C.E.A.), the Federation of Asian Bishops'
Conferences (F.A.B.C.), the Federation of Catholic Bishops' Conferences
of Oceania (F.C.B.C.O.) (Cf. Annuario Pontificio 1998, Vatican
City 1998, pp. 1112-1115). Nevertheless, these institutions are
not properly Episcopal Conferences. (34) John Paul II, Address to
the Roman Curia (June 28, 1986), No. 7c: AAS 79 (1987), 197. (35) Final Report, II, C), 5:
L'Osservatore Romano, December 10, 1985, p. 7. (36) Cf. ibid., II, C), 8, b. (37) Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium,
9. (38) Cf. First Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution Pastor Aeternus, Prologus:
DS 3051. (39) Cf. Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, Letter Communionis Notio (May 28,
1992), 12. (40) Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium,
20. (41) Ibid., 26. (42) Ibid., Nota explicativa
praevia, 2. (43) Ibid., 22. (44) Ibid., 22. (45) Cf. ibid., 22; Acta Synodalia
Sacrosancti Concilii Oecumenici Vaticani II, vol. III, pars VIII,
Typis Poliglottis Vaticanis 1976, p. 77, No. 102. (46) Cf. Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, Letter Communionis Notio (May 28,
1992), 13. (47) Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium,
23. (48) Ibid., 23. (49) Ibid., 25. (50) Ibid., 26. (51) Cf. ibid., 23. (52) Synod of Bishops of 1985,
Final Report, II, C), 4: L'Osservatore Romano, December
10, 1985, p. 7. (53) John Paul II, Speech to
the Bishops of the United States of America (September 16, 1987),
3: Insegnamenti, X, 3 (1987), 555. (54) Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, Letter Communionis Notio (May 28, 1992),
9. (55) Besides, as is clearly evident,
there are many Bishops who are not heads of particular Churches,
although they perform tasks proper to Bishops. (56) John Paul II, Address to
the Roman Curia (December 20, 1990), 6: AAS 83 (1991), 744. (57) Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium,
22. (58) Cf. Jn 10:11. (59) Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium,
23; Decree on the Bishops' Pastoral Office in the Church Christus
Dominus, 6. (60) Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church
Christus Dominus, 36. (61) Code of Canon Law, Canon
447; Cf. Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Pastoral
Office of Bishops in the Church Christus Dominus, 38,
1. (62) Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church
Christus Dominus, 37. (63) Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon
448, 1. (64) Code of Canon Law, Canon
448, 2. (65) Code of Canon Law, Canon
449, 1. (66) Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon
450, 1. (67) Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon
454, 1. (68) Cf. Pontificia Commissio
Codici Iuris Canonici Authentice Interpretando, Responsum ad
propositum dubium, Utrum Episcopus Auxiliaris (Maii 23, 1988):
AAS 81 (1989), 388. (69) Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon
454, 2. (70) Code of Canon Law, Canon
451. (71) Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium,
20. (72) Ibid., 27. (73) Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church
Christus Dominus, 11; Code of Canon Law, Canon 368. (74) Congregation for the Doctrine
of the Faith, Letter Communionis Notio (May 28, 1992),
13. (75) Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium,
27. (76) Code of Canon Law, Canon
381, 1. (77) Code of Canon Law, Canon
455, 1. By the expression "general decrees" is also
intended the executive decrees mentioned in canons 31-33 of the
Code of Canon Law: cf. Pontificia Commissio Codici Iuris Canonici
authentice interpretando, Responsum ad propositum dubium Utrum
sub locutione (14 maii 1985): AAS 77 (1985), 771. (78) Code of Canon Law, Canon
455, 4. (79) Code of Canon Law, Canon
753. (80) Code of Canon Law, Canon
775, 2. (81) Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon
825. (82) Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum,
10. (83) Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium,
25; Code of Canon Law, Canon 753. (84) Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canon
455. (85) Synod of Bishops of 1985,
Final Report, II, C), 5: L'Osservatore Romano, December
10, 1985, p. 7. WFF is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations are tax deductible.
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