The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) meets once a year at its Plenary Assembly.

Every two years (every odd year), the Bishops elect from among their brothers the members of the Permanent Council (fourteen members) and the Executive Committee (four members: the President, Vice-President and two Co-Treasurers. The Bishops also elect the Chairmen of the six national Episcopal Commissions.

A General Secretariat serves the Conference, doing the day-to-day work and ensuring the execution of the decisions taken by the members of the Conference.

• Plenary Assembly
• Permanent Council
• Executive Committee
• Episcopal Commissions, Standing Committees and Council
• General Secretariat

Plenary Assembly

 The Plenary Assembly constitutes the essential structure and the highest authority within the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, gathering over 80 Bishops every fall. For the past few years, this five-day meeting has been held in Cornwall, Ontario.

• List of Bishops
• Information on the 2011 Plenary Assembly

Permanent Council

The Permanent Council’s authority is derived from the Plenary Assembly to which it reports. The principal responsibility of the Permanent Council is to oversee the general work and orientation of the Conference and to prepare and carry out the main undertakings of the Plenary Assembly.

The Permanent Council is elected for a two-year term by the members present at the Plenary Assembly. It is composed of twelve members, equally represented by anglophone and francophone members. The Council meets four times a year.

Here is its composition:

• Four members from the Executive Committee
• Ex Officio Members
• Representatives from each of the four Canadian pastoral regions (Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario and the West)

Members of the 2011–2013 Permanent Council

• The Most Reverend Richard Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton, President
• The Most Reverend Paul-André Durocher, Archbishop of Gatineau, Vice-President
• The Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., Bishop of Hamilton, Co-Treasurer
• The Most Reverend Lionel Gendron, P.S.S., Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Co-Treasurer
• His Eminence Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte, Archbishop of Montreal, Ex officio member
• The Most Reverend Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, Ex officio member
• The Most Reverend Lawrence Huculak, O.S.B.M., Eparchial Archbishop of Winnipeg and Metropolitan for Ukrainian Catholics in Canada, Ex officio member
• The Most Reverend Gérald Cyprien Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec City, Ex officio member
• The Most Reverend Claude Champagne, O.M.I., Bishop of Edmundston, Atlantic Regional Representative
• The Most Reverend Luc Cyr, Archbishop of Sherbrooke, Quebec Regional Representative
• The Most Reverend Gerard P. Bergie, Bishop of St. Catharines, Ontario Regional Representative
• The Most Reverend John Corriveau, O.F.M. Cap., Bishop of Nelson, Western Regional Representative
• The Most Reverend Richard Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton, President
• The Most Reverend Paul-André Durocher, Archbishop of Gatineau, Vice-President
• The Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., Bishop of Hamilton, Co-Treasurer
• The Most Reverend Lionel Gendron, P.S.S., Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Co-Treasurer 

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee holds its authority from the Permanent Council, to which it is accountable. Between meetings of the Permanent Council, the Executive Committee:

• has principal responsibility for promoting and coordinating the initiatives of the CCCB
• sees to the execution of the decisions of the Conference and the Permanent Council
• oversees financial affairs
• oversees current and urgent matters

The Executive Committee is made up of the President, Vice-President and two Co-Treasurers. They are elected every two years by those present at the Plenary Assembly.
Executive Committee members for 2011–2013 are

• The Most Reverend Richard Smith, Archbishop of Edmonton, President 

• The Most Reverend Paul-André Durocher, Archbishop of Gatineau, Vice-President

• The Most Reverend Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., Bishop of Hamilton, Co-Treasurer
• The Most Reverend Lionel Gendron, P.S.S., Bishop of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Co-Treasurer

Episcopal Commissions, Standing Committees and Council

Six Episcopal Commissions, four Committees and one Council are at the service of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Each Commission and Standing Committee specializes in one pastoral area, to guide and support the Bishops in their ministry. Lead by the work and expertise of the Bishops and of one secretary (consultants and observers can also join the groups), each Commission and Standing Committee studies current events, analyzes the needs of the Church in Canada, and organizes projects aimed at supporting our Catholic communities.

Three of the Commissions are national – formed by Bishops equally distributed between the French and English sectors. The three others are named “sectoral” because they are divided according to the language of the Bishops.

The Canadian Catholic Aboriginal Council, established in 1998 by the Bishops of Canada, encourages Aboriginal leadership in the Christian community, supports healing and reconciliation between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals, and advises the Bishops on Aboriginal questions.

• List of Commissions, Standing Committees and Council, their mandate and their members

General Secretariat

To assist them in their pastoral work, the Bishops have established a permanent bilingual Secretariat in Ottawa that includes various offices and services.

It assists in coordinating activities and information. It maintains contacts with the Holy See and with other Episcopal Conferences, as well as with Churches, ecclesial communities, faith groups and government authorities at the national and international levels. It also works in collaboration with the four Regional Episcopal Assemblies in Canada.

The General Secretary is Msgr. Patrick Powers, P.H.

• List of Offices, Services and General Secretariat staff of the CCCB