The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines is scheduled to elect new leaders next week when the organization convenes for its plenary assembly.
Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao, current president of CBCP, will convene the two-day meeting on July 8. The prelate has already served as head of the conference for four years.
The bishops are expected to elect the succesor of Archbishop Valles as president and that of Bishop Pablo Virgilio of Kalookan, the current vice president.
Nine regional representatives of the conference’s Permanent Council will also be elected.
Monsignor Bernardino Pantin, CBCP secretary general, told CBCP News that the bishops will also vote for a new treasurer and chairmen of the different commissions of the episcopal conference.
He said the new leaders will assume their respective roles on Dec. 1, 2021.
Monsignor Pantin said the meeting will be preceded by a two-day online retreat from July 5 to 6.
Among the agenda that are expected to be discussed in the assembly are the preparations for the Synod of Bishops on synodality in the Vatican in 2023.
The conference is also expected to come up with a pastoral statement.
The plenary assembly meets in regular sessions twice a year – in January and in July. When the assembly is not in session, the Permanent Council acts on behalf of the conference.
To date, the CBCP is composed of 87 active bishops, two diocesan administrators, and 41 honorary members.
