A new internal organization “to favour the collegial exercise of the Episcopal ministry” and “to support the action of the Church” in the country was decided by the French bishops during their plenary assembly held at Chevilly-Larue from 13 to 15 June. ‘Trasversality’, flexibility, simplification and participation says a statement issued at the end of the assembly are the keywords of the new organization that provides for the creation of a “Studies and Projects” Committee, seven episcopal Commissions and 9 Councils. In particular, the new Committee, composed of 5 bishops, “is intended to favour the active participation of the Assembly in priority decisions”. It will have the job of selecting the questions to propose to the bishops and the faculty of setting up ‘ad hoc’ work groups to tackle them. With regard to the seven episcopal commissions (each composed of three to six bishops), these ‘invade’ ( inter alia) the doctrinal, liturgical, catechetical, ecumenical and vocational fields. A ‘finance’ Commission and a “Mission of France’ were also established. These seven commissions are complemented by the nine Councils that deal with such questions as the family, the laity, youth, interfaith dialogue, solidarity and social communications. At the next assembly to be held at Lourdes from 4 to 9 November, the bishops will proceed to the reform of the national services, reorganized on the basis of the needs of the ecclesiastical provinces. During their assembly the bishops also approved the declaration “The Catholic Church and the law of 9 December 1905 a century later”, in which they clarify some points concerning the Church’s conception of the secular nature of public life and the contribution of Catholics to the life of the country.
