MANILA, Jan. 26, 2013— The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) starts today its three-day plenary assembly at the Pius XII Center in Manila.
As of Monday, 98 bishops – 88 active and 10 retired – from various dioceses across the country are in attendance to tackle administrative and national concerns.
The CBCP has more than 120 active and honorary members invited to attend its bi-annual meeting.
The three-day assembly was preceded by a two-day seminar on Spirituality of Stewardship and on the theme of the recently concluded Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization.
In a message to the CBCP, Pope Benedict XVI imparted his “apostolic blessing” to the bishops and said that he trusts that their meeting “will bear fruit.”
He also prays for the activities planned for the beginning of the nine-year period in preparation for the fifth centenary celebrations of Christianity in the Philippines.
The pontiff’s message was relayed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone through the Papal nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto who graced the opening of the plenary assembly. (CBCPNews)
