Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference of Taiwan

The Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference (CRBC; Chinese: 天主教會臺灣地區主教團; lit. 'Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Taiwan Area'),[1] is the episcopal conference of Taiwan and is the highest organ of the Roman Catholic Church in Greater China. Catholics in the independent jurisdictions of Hong Kong, Macau and Mongolia are represented in the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, not the Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference.[2]

Not to be confused with the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.
Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference
AbbreviationCRBC (臺灣主教團)
Formation1967
TypeNGO
PurposeTo deal with affairs relating to Catholics in Taiwan and to maintain contact with the Holy See and universal Church
HeadquartersTaipei City, Taiwan
Location
  • 39 An Ju Street, Da-an District
Region served
Free Area of the Republic of China
Membership
Active and retired Catholic bishops of Taiwan
President
Archbishop Thomas Chung
Main organ
Conference
AffiliationsFederation of Asian Bishops' Conferences
Websitecatholic.org.tw
Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference of Taiwan
Traditional Chinese天主教會臺灣地區主教團
Simplified Chinese天主敎会台湾地区主敎团

History

When Archbishop Paul Yü of Nanking attended the Second Vatican Council in 1965, Pope John XXIII proposed the development of the Chinese Catholic Church on Taiwan due to the situation of the Church on Mainland China. Part of this development would be to re-establish Catholic schools such as the Catholic University in Peking on Taiwan as well as creating a Chinese episcopal conference. Therefore, the Chinese Catholic Bishops Conference (天主教中國主教團) was established in 1967[3] and would serve as the national bishops' conference for all territories claimed by the Government of the Republic of China. In 1973, bishops from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines gathered at Fu Jen Catholic University for the inaugural meeting of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences. In 1998, the conference adopted its current name to reflect the geopolitical situation and remains the only Chinese episcopal conference sanctioned by the Vatican.[1]

Organizational Structure

The conference is led by a president, vice president, and secretary-general. The Secretariat, the highest administrative unit, contains the following 10 commissions:

  • Aborigine Apostolate
  • Clergy
    • Subcommittee on Ongoing Priest Formation
    • Subcommittee on Seminaries Education
  • Doctrine of the Faith and Catechetical Instruction
    • Sub-Commission of Bible Apostolate
      • Chinese Catholic Federation for the Bible Apostolate
    • Subcommittee on Catechesis Research
    • Subcommittee on Theology Research
    • Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service Team
  • Education and Culture
  • Evangelization
    • Subcommittee on Family
    • Subcommittee on Laity
    • Subcommittee on Youth
  • Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenical Cooperation
    • Promoting Christian Unity
  • Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People
  • Pastoral - Health Care
  • Sacred Liturgy
  • Social Development (Justice & Peace)

Membership List

President: Most Reverend John Lee Keh-Mien (李克勉), Bishop of Hsinchu
Vice President: Most Reverend Peter Liu (劉振忠), Bishop of Kaohsiung


Note: The Archbishop of Taipei has also overseen the Apostolic Administration of Kinma since 1968.

See also

References
  1. "Bishops' Conference in Taiwan Amends Official Name". UCA News. 20 April 1998.
  2. "Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference". GCatholic. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  3. Annuario Pontificio (Libreria Editrice Vaticana ISBN 978-88-209-8021-4), page 1108
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