Episcopal Conference of Belgium

The Belgian Bishops' Conference or the Episcopal Conference of Belgium (Dutch: Belgische Bisschoppenconferentie; French: Conférence épiscopale de Belgique; German: Belgische Bischofskonferenz) is the permanent organ of the Roman Catholic bishops in Belgium. It is a member of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences. It includes the bishops, auxiliary bishops and retired bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Belgium.

Conference logo

Bureau

The chairman is the archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, Luc Terlinden. The Secretary-General is Herman Cosijns.

Members of the Belgian Bishops' Conference

Bishops

• Luc Terlinden, archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels
• Johan Bonny, bishop of Antwerp
• Lodewijk Aerts, bishop of Bruges
• Jean-Pierre Delville, bishop of Liège
• Guy Harpigny, bishop of Tournai
• Patrick Hoogmartens, bishop of Hasselt
• Rémy Vancottem, bishop of Namur
• Lode Van Hecke, bishop of Ghent

Auxiliary bishops

• Pierre Warin, auxiliary bishop of Namur
• Jean Kockerols, auxiliary bishop of Mechelen-Brussel
• Jean-Luc Hudsyn, auxiliary bishop of Mechelen-Brussel
• Léon Lemmens, auxiliary bishop of Mechelen-Brussel

Emeriti

• André-Joseph Léonard, archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussel
• Jozef De Kesel, archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussel
• Albert Houssiau, bishop emeritus of Liège
• Arthur Luysterman, bishop emeritus of Ghent
• Lucas Van Looy, bishop emeritus of Ghent
• Paul Van den Berghe, bishop emeritus of Antwerp
• Jan De Bie, auxiliary bishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussel

Operation

Within the Belgian Bishops' Conference, there are four standing committees and three Episcopal bishops committee. Each of them stands in front of a bishop to be elected as members of two or three bishops, as other members of the clergy and experts can be included. Furthermore, the bishops' conference has a coordination committee. In his work on the commissions and committees are prepared to be further discussed and inter-diocesan projects. This committee is chaired by the chairman of the Bishops' Conference.

Commissions and committees

• Commission on Faith and Church
• Commission on Evangelism
• Commission for the Diocese
• Commission "Gaudium et Spes"
• Committee for Media
• Committee for administrative, legal and financial issues
• Committee for Contacts with the public institutions and local governments

External links

• bisschoppenconferentie on Kerknet
• Le conference des évêques on Cathobel