A NEW set of officers are set to be elected when members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) gather for the 126th Plenary Assembly in Kalibo, Aklan from July 8 to 10, 2023.
According to CBCP Secretary General Msgr. Bernardo Pantin, the election of officers is foremost in the agenda of the biannual meeting of bishops.
"Among the agenda of the meeting is the election of CBCP officers for the term December 2023 to November 2025," Pantin told CBCP News, the official news agency of CBCP.
To note, Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David and Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara are currently on their first terms as CBCP president and vice president, respectively.
CBCP officials are elected to a two-year term and are eligible for reelection.
Also expected to be tackled in the three-day meeting is the proposal to have a united liturgical gesture for the singing/recitation of the Lord's Prayer during the Holy Mass.
This as Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma earlier said he will raise the proposal during the plenary meeting.
“I’d like to believe that it would be reviewed and, eventually, a final recommendation will be made,” Palma said.
Earlier, Dumaguete Bishop Julito Cortes decreed that the churchgoers must "join his or her own hands" during the recitation of the Lord's Prayer during the Holy Mass, instead of raising or holding others' hands.
Cortes mandated that priests must extend their hands in prayer during the recitation or singing of the Lord's Prayer.
The plenary assembly is the highest decision-making body of the CBCP and is composed of 87 active bishops, 37 honorary/retired members, and three diocesan priest administrators.
Active bishops are eligible to vote on particular items, while honorary/retired bishops are welcome to attend the assemblies and participate in the discussion, but are not eligible to vote.
The CBCP Plenary Assembly meets only twice a year, or every January and July. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)