AKLAN – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will hold its plenary assembly in Kalibo town on July 8 to 10. It will be hosted by the Diocese of Kalibo.
CBCP secretary general Monsignor Bernardo Pantin said the 126th plenary assembly at the Marzon Hotel is a period of prayer, sharing, reflections, and deliberations concerning the Church and society.
A bishop’s annual retreat from July 4 to 6 will also take place in Kalibo.
During the plenary, the CBCP will elect officers for the term December 2023 to November 2025.
The 88 active bishops, 37 retired or resigned prelates, and two diocesan priest administrators meet twice a year – in January and July.
The assembly also elects through a direct vote the secretary general and treasurer, the members of the permanent council, the chairmen of the Episcopal Commissions and the heads of the agencies attached to the conference.
On July 9, 2021, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of the Diocese of Kalookan was elected president during the two-day online plenary assembly.
Pasig bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara was also elected vice president of the CBCP. They are currently serving their two-year term in office.
CBCP is the permanent organizational assembly of the Catholic bishops exercising certain pastoral offices for the Christian faithful of their territory through apostolic plans, programs and projects suited to the circumstances of time and place in accordance with law for the promotion of the greater good offered by the Church to all people.
As of 2022, the Philippines has 16 archdioceses, 51 dioceses, seven apostolic vicariates, five territorial prelatures, and a military ordinariate./PN
