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[1] In post-Vatican II ecclesiology, episcopal conferences have emerged as a theme of growing interest and importance for theological study and reflection. Episcopal conferences, "starting in the mid-19th century …were set up for specific pastoral purposes as a means of responding to different ecclesiastical questions of common concern, or to new demands in the work of evangelization being met by bishops in territories where local/particular churches shared similar historical, cultural and sociological situations, backgrounds, traditions, etc."

[2] In time, spontaneous assemblies (initially consultative) of bishops developed into more permanent organisms, which assured stable coordination of at least some pastoral activities of the dioceses involved. These initiatives generally received firm support from the Holy See. Pope Pius XII encouraged establishment of these conferences, and the Second Vatican Council, in at least eight documents, - Lumen Gentium and Christus Dominus first of all – entrusted them with determined concerns and tasks. Pope Paul VI's motu proprio Ecclesiae sanctae (1966) called for episcopal conferences to be set up wherever they did not yet exist arid in I 973, the Directory for the Pastoral Ministry of Bishops spoke of them as "a contemporary means of contributing in a varied and fruitful way to the practice of collegiality . (and they] admirably help to foster a spirit of communion with the universal Church and the different local churches."

The 1983 Code of Canon Law devoted a specific chapter to these conferences (canons 447-459).

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[3] The extraordinary Synod of Bishops of 1985, emphasizing that in the present situation, there is no doubt as to their usefulness, asked that their theological and juridical status be studied thoroughly and. given clearer and more definite determination, specially with regard to the problem of their doctrinal authority (Synod 1985, Relatio finalis, II, C, 8b).

[4] In response to this Synod’s desideratum, thirteen years later, on 21 May 1998, Pope John Paul II promulgated his motu proprio Apostolos Suos [AS]. AS, after briefly developing the theo1ogical foundations for these conferences and the joint actions of bishops who belong to them, sets down four "norme compliMentari", specifically for "dichiarazioni dottrinali emanate delle conferenze."

[5] AS first speaks of the growing relevance and importance of the conferences: "Ie conferenze episcopali … hanno assunto ilruolo di organo preferito dei vescovi di una nazione o di un determinato territorio per lo scambio di vedute, per la cosultazione reciproca e per la collaborazione a vantaggio dal bene commune delle chiesa." Inoltre, in anni recenti, le CE "sono diventate una realta’ concreta, viva ed efficiente intutte le parti del mondo. La loro rilevanza appare dal fatto che esse contribuiscono efficacemente all’unita’ fra I vescovi, e quindi all’unita’ dalla chiesa, essendo uno strumento assai valido per rinsaldare la communione ecclesiale."

[6] While the motu proprio relates the conferences to their ultimate foundation in the ecclesial communio which is the sacramental/ontological bond of the unity of the Church and on another level of the total college of bishops,

[7] Coming now to the doctrinal authority of the conference, AS teaches: "La voce concorde dei vescovi di un determinato territorio, quando, in communione col romano potifice, proclamano congiuntamente la verita cattolica in materia di fede o di morale, puo giungere al loro popolo con maggiore efficacia e rendere piu agevole l’adesione del loro fedeli col religioso ossequio dello spirito a tale magistero." Ma, il punto centrale e questo: "Se le dichiarazioni dottrinali delle conferenze episcopali sono approvati all’unanimita, indubbiamente possono essere pubblicanti a nome delle conferenze stesse, e i fedeli sono tenuti ad aderire con religioso ossequio dell’anirno a quel magistero autentico dei proprio vescovi. Se pero viene a mancare tale unanimita, la sola maggioranza dei vescovi di una conferenza non puo pubblicare l’eventuale dichiarazione come magistero autentico della medesima cui debbano aderire tutti i fideli del territorio, a meno che non ottengano la revisione (recognitio) della sede apostolica…"

[8] Ne1la presentazione delle linee dottrinale del testo, il stesso Cardinale Joseph Ratzinger della CDF ha chiarito che "1a lettera apostolica non intende riprendere l'intera. problematica ecclesiologica relativa al rapporto tra chiesa universale e chiesa particolare (...), ne ha l’intenzione di rispondere a tutti i numerosi quesiti che la teologia ha sollevato in questi anni intorno al problerna di chiarire il fbndamento teologico di tali organismi, espressione dell’ affetto collegiale. Sarabbe quindi errato attribuire al presente documento pontificio lo scopo de precludere ulteriori chiarificazioni teologiche, nella linea della fedelta e della continuita dottrinale col l'insegnamento magistrale."

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[9] Not a few issues in this "intera problematica ecclesiologica" referred to by the Prefect of the CDF remain points of significant theological discussion at the present time. For instance, regarding the notion that "in its essential mystery the universal church is a reality, ontologically and temporally prior to every individual church," the question is asked: "Do not, rather, the one Church and the particular Churches occur simultaneously, since the Church, the actual church exists "in and from" the local Churches, as Vatican II taught ...?" From these different theological options many weighty consequences derive, even in more practical and pastoral areas of the relationship between the universal Church and the local Churches; even in the manner of definitely conceiving the theological status and competence of episcopal conferences. Further clarifications thus continue to be called for regarding the practical realization of episcopal collegiality in the joint actions of the episcopal conferences.

[10] We may, hopefully, look forward to much fruitful study, reflection and discussion in the future, so that the theological foundations of an ecclesial organism like the episcopal conference may be fully and adequately worked out and thus more fruitfully bring forth the fuller realization of the affectus collegialis and the communio ecclesialis in the living Church of our time.