Catholic bishops from across the country will gather in Ozamiz City, a port city in Misamis Occidental province in the southern Philippines, from July 8 to 10 for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines' (CBCP) 132nd Plenary Assembly, where they are expected to discuss key pastoral concerns, including mental health, environmental protection, and the global energy crisis.
CBCP Secretary General Msgr. Bernardo Pantin said the three-day assembly will focus on the Church's pastoral priorities and pressing issues affecting both the Catholic community and the nation.
The gathering will formally open with addresses from Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown and CBCP President Archbishop Gilbert Garcera.
Msgr. Pantin said the bishops would also deliberate on other pastoral concerns facing communities across the country.
He called on the faithful to pray for the success of the assembly.
"As shepherds, the bishops come together to listen to one another and to discern the best ways to respond to the needs of our communities. Your prayers are an essential part of that journey," Msgr. Pantin said.
Before the plenary assembly, the bishops will hold their annual retreat from July 3 to 6, focusing on synodality, the Church's continuing effort to deepen communion, participation, and mission.
British Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, a Dominican theologian, will deliver a video reflection during the retreat, while Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization, is also expected to address the bishops.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, who chairs the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences' Commission for Synodality, will likewise offer a spiritual reflection.
At the conclusion of the plenary assembly, the CBCP is expected to issue a pastoral statement outlining the bishops' collective guidance on issues affecting the Church and Philippine society.
The CBCP holds plenary assemblies twice a year, in January and July.
Between assemblies, its permanent council exercises the conference's functions.
The bishops' conference currently consists of 83 active bishops, 45 retired bishops, and three diocesan priest administrators serving Catholic dioceses across the Philippines.
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