Episcopal Conference of Spain


The Spanish Episcopal Conference is an administrative institution composed of all the bishops of the dioceses of Spain and Andorra, in communion with the Roman Pontiff and under his authority. Its purpose is the joint exercise certain pastoral functions of the episcopate on the faithful of their territory, under common law and statutes, in order to promote the life of the Church, to strengthen its mission of evangelization and respond more effectively to the greater good that the Church should seek to men.

Base teacher

The documents that outline the life and work of the 113 Episcopal Conferences currently in the world, are:Lumen gentium, Christus Dominus, Ecclesiae Imago, Sanctae Ecclesiae, Apostolos Suos and the Code of Canon Law.
The Spanish Episcopal Conference was constituted by rescript of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation, protocol No. 1.047/64, of 03.10.1966. Public legal personality ecclesiastical and civil 2 under the Agreement on Legal Affairs of 03.01.1979 between the Holy See and the Spanish State.
His first Statute was adopted by the Constituent Assembly in the year 1966 and ratified the same year by Pope Paul VI "ad quinquenium". He received the ultimate recognition, on February 5, 1977, by decree of the Congregation for Bishops. Subsequently, the LI Plenary Assembly approved in November 1989 amending some articles, confirmed by the Congregation for Bishops, by decree of February 5 of 1991. The last renovation was approved by the Plenary Assembly XCII Spanish Episcopal Conference and confirmed by Decree of the Congregation for Bishops on 19 December of that year.
Under Article 2 of the Statutes of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, are full members of the Archbishops and Bishops diocesan Archbishop military, the Archbishops and Bishops Coadjutor and Auxiliary, the apostolic administrators and diocesan administrator in addition to the Archbishops and Bishops emeriti members and special office at the national level, entrusted by the Holy See or the Episcopal Conference. All the Spanish Bishops pastoral office have voice and vote in the Plenary Assembly, the Bishops Emeritus, without pastoral charge, only a consultative vote. 3 charges are elected for three years and may not exceed three terms, except the Secretary General is elected for five years.

Presidents of the Spanish Episcopal Conference

The Chair moderates the overall activity of the conference and represents it legally. Take care of the relations of the Episcopal Conference with the Holy See and with other episcopal conferences. Convenes and chairs meetings of the Plenary Assembly and the Permanent Commission and Executive Committee. The Chairman has a duration of three years.
Throughout the history of the Episcopal Conference of bishops who have presided have been:
  1. Fernando Quiroga Palacios, Cardinal and Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela
  2. Casimiro Morcillo Gonzalez, Archbishop of Madrid-Alcalá
  3. Vicente Enrique y Tarancon, Cardinal and Archbishop of Madrid-Alcalá
  4. Gabino Díaz Merchán, Archbishop of Oviedo
  5. Ángel Suquía Goicoechea, Cardinal and Archbishop of Madrid
  6. Elías Yanes Álvarez, Archbishop of Zaragoza
  7. Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, Cardinal and Archbishop of Madrid.
  8. Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, Bishop of Bilbao.
  9. Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, Cardinal and Archbishop of Madrid
  10. Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, Cardinal and Archbishop of Valladolid
  11. Juan José Omella, Cardinal and Archbishop of Barcelona

    Vice Presidents of the Spanish Episcopal Conference

Vicente Enrique y Tarancon, Cardinal
José María Bueno Monreal, Cardinal
José María Cirarda Lachiondo
Jose Delicado Baeza
Elias Yanes Alvarez
Fernando Sebastián Aguilar
Ricardo María Carles Gordó, Cardinal
Fernando Sebastián Aguilar
Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Cardinal
Ricardo Blázquez Pérez
Carlos Osoro Sierra, Cardinal
Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Cardinal

General Secretaries of the Spanish Episcopal Conference

1966 - 1972 - Jose Guerra Campos
1972 - 1977 - Elias Yanes Alvarez
1977 - 1982 - Jesus Rodriguez Iribarren
1982 - 1988 - Fernando Sebastián Aguilar
1988 - 1993 - Agustin Garcia-Gasco Vicente, Cardinal
1993 - 1998 - Jose Sanchez Gonzalez
1998 - 2003 - Juan José Asenjo Pelegrina
2003 - 2013 - Juan Antonio Martinez Camino
2013 - José María Gil Tamayo

Executive Committee of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (triennium 2014-2017)

The Executive Committee consists of the following members: Three by reason of his position: President, Vice President and Secretary General of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. The Archbishop of Madrid, if it has one of the charges listed. Three more Bishops elected for this purpose from among the full members of the Conference, or four if the Archbishop of Madrid is one of the charges listed. These bishops may not hold office in any Episcopal Commission.

Statutes of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Articles 24 § 2.

Currently:
President: Ricardo Blázquez Pérez, Archbishop of Valladolid Cardinal.
Vice President:Antonio Cañizares Llovera, Cardinal Archbishop of Valencia.
Secretary General: Fr. José María Gil Tamayo.
Members: Carlos Osoro Sierra, Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, Juan del Rio Martin, Archbishop Military, Juan José Asenjo Pelegrina, Archbishop of Sevilla, Julián Barrio Barrio, Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela.

Committees of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (triennium 2014-2017)

The Episcopal Commissions are bodies established by the Conference, the service of the Plenary Assembly for the study and treatment of some problems in a particular field of common pastoral activity of the Church in Spain, in accordance with the general guidelines adopted by the Assembly Whole.
Each Episcopal Commission consist of a Chairman and a variable number of members as determined by the Plenary Assembly at the proposal of the Standing Committee.
Statutes of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Articles 29 and 31 § 1.
Thus, the Plenary Assembly XCVII found the chairs in the following bishops:

Council of the Presidency

The Cardinals are members of the Conference of the Council Presidency of the same. The Papal Representative is honorary member of the Governing Board, when attending meetings of the Conference or by mandate of the Holy See, or by request of the same Conference expressed by its President, and always in the opening session of each Plenary Assembly.
Statutes of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Article 5 and 7.
Family and Defense of Life: Mario Iceta Gavicagogeascoa, Bishop of Bilbao
Catechesis: Javier Salinas Viñals, Bishop of Tortosa
Universities: Agustin Cortes Soriano, Bishop of Sant Feliu de Llobregat

Episcopal Board of Legal Affairs

Chairman: D. Bishop Carlos Lopez Hernandez, Bishop of Salamanca

Council of Economic

President

, Cardinal Archbishop of Valladolid and President of the Spanish Episcopal Conference.
Members
The Standing Committee is the body that looks after the preparation of the Plenary Assemblies and the implementation of decisions taken on them.
The Standing Committee shall consist of: President, Vice President and Secretary General of the Conference, which will also Permanent Commission. The Presidents of the Episcopal Commissions of the fixed and those mentioned in Art. 17, 7, or, if this is not a member of the same Bishop. The Metropolitan Church that Province who has not, in any other capacity, any of its members in the Standing Committee. The Presidents of the Regions Ecclesiastical they do not belong in any other capacity to the Standing Committee. The bishops elected to the Executive Committee, pursuant to art. 24 § 2, 3. º. A cardinal, in order of precedence, which is a full member of the Conference and not part of the Permanent Commission for another title. The Archbishop of Madrid, if not a member of the Standing Commission for another title.
Statutes of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Articles 18 and 19.
Thus, members of the Standing Committee will be members of the Executive Committee and the chairmen of the committees that are:
The Plenary Assembly is the supreme organ of the Episcopal Conference, and is composed of all members of the same.
are full members of the Conference: The archbishops and diocesan bishops, Archbishop Military, Archbishops and Bishops Coadjutor and Auxiliary Managers and Administrators Diocesan Apostolic, and the Archbishops and Bishops emeriti members and to play a distinctive role in the national level, entrusted by the Holy See or the Episcopal Conference.
Statutes of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Article 8 § 1 and 2.
List of members of the Plenary Assembly.
Territorially, the system diocese of the Catholic Church of Spain divides the country into 70 dioceses, each headed by a bishop. These, in turn, meet in fourteen ecclesiastical provinces, each in charge of their respective archbishop.

List of Spanish dioceses

For complete information regarding the dioceses of Spain can read the List of the Roman Catholic dioceses of Spain

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