Engaged in the prevention of sexual abuse for more than 20 years, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) is among the pioneers of the religious world in this area. The Bishops of Canada continue to be pro-active in developing diocesan measures by which each Bishop, in his respective diocese, not only responds to the cases brought to his attention but also ensures secure pastoral environments for minors as well as for volunteers and personnel involved in pastoral ministry.

The Catholic community in Canada has a decentralized structure.  Each Diocesan Bishop is autonomous in his diocese and, although relating to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, is not responsible to it.

Approximately 16 out of 70 Catholic dioceses in Canada were associated with the former Indian Residential Schools, in addition to about three dozen religious communities.  Each diocese and religious community is legally responsible for its own actions. The Catholic Church as a whole was not associated with the Residential Schools, nor was the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

These are the reasons why an apology on Residential Schools has not been made by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops or in the name of the Catholic Church in Canada.

Since the beginning of the debates on the redefinition of marriage in 2002, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), an organization jointly founded by the CCCB and the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus, published numerous documents.