Halifax to Host 1996 CCCB Plenary Meeting

Wednesday, September 11 1996

Ottawa (CCCB) — The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops will hold its annual plenary meeting next month in Halifax. The Mount Saint Vincent Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity will host some 90 Canadian bishops from October 17 to 22 for discussion of questions of national interest.

The theme of this year’s Plenary is “Searching for Christ Today.” The main address will be delivered by Father Marcello Zago, the Superior General of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. An entire day is being reserved for workshops dealing with various aspects of the theme.

Other topics being discussed at the Plenary include the preparations for the Synod of Bishops for America, expected to be held in Rome in late 1997; the Great Jubilee Year 2000, the Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF), and the situation surrounding Catholic schools in Canada. There will also be presentations on Pope John Paul’s Apostolic Letter on Consecrated Life.

Last year the Bishops’ plenary meeting was held in Edmonton, breaking with a tradition of holding the annual meetings in Ottawa, in order that the four Episcopal regions could host the national meetings on a rotating basis. The 1997 meeting will be held in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Québec, and the 1998 meeting will be held in Ontario.

The CCCB is the national association of all Catholic bishops in Canada. It assures the coordination of Catholic life in Canada. As of September 11, 1996, the CCCB was composed of 129 bishops which includes 71 diocesan bishops, 19 auxiliary bishops and 39 bishops emeriti.