III. Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES’
CONSTITUTION and BY-LAWS
(As amended in 2012, excerpts)
I. CONSTITUTION
A. Article IV: ORGANIZATION
Section 3: For purposes of administration and coordination, the Episcopal Commissions, Permanent Committees and Offices shall be grouped under the following Departments:
…
b) Department of Clergy Formation:
1. Commission on Clergy
2. Commission on Seminaries
3. Commission on Vocations
4. Commission on the Pontificio Collegio Filippino
5. Committee on Bishops’ Concerns
B. Article IX: COMPOSITION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND EXECUTIVE BODIES
Section 5: The Episcopal Commission shall be composed of a minimum of five Members of the Conference to a maximum of seven, including of the Chairman:
C. Article X: ELECTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS
Section 2:
a. The Chairmen of the Episcopal Commissions, Permanent Committees and Offices shall be elected by the Plenary Assembly from among the Members of the Conference during its last regular meeting prior to the expiration of the term of Office of the incumbents. In order to facilitate compliance with the provision of letter “e” of this Section, the election of the said Chairmen shall be held the first day of the Assembly.
b. No one shall be Chairman of more than one entity in the Conference, be this an Episcopal Commission, a Permanent Committee and/or an Office. Furthermore, the President shall not be the Chairman of any of these entities. Finally, no one shall be a Member of more than two of the said entities, which restriction however shall not apply to membership in the Permanent Council.
c. At the regular Plenary Assembly of January prior to the elections, the Permanent Council shall invite the Members of the Conference to nominate in writing their Candidates to the Chairmanships. They shall also be invited to indicate two to four Episcopal Commissions, Permanent Committees and/or Offices which they are willing to serve as Members thereof.
d. Taking into account the previous provision of letter “c” of this Section, the Permanent Council shall nominate in alphabetical order, three Candidates for the Chairmanship of every Episcopal Commission, Permanent Committee and Office. While one may be nominated for at most two Chairmanships, considering however the provision of letter “a” of this same Section, in the event that a Candidate shall relinquish one of them, the Candidate next to him in the number of votes shall be considered elected to the position thus relinquished.
e. The Members of every Episcopal Commission, Permanent Committee and Office shall be chosen by their respective Chairmen after consulting with the list of preferential Memberships signified by the Members of the Conference and after conferring with the other Chairmen for a more equitable and effective distribution of commitment and responsibility among the Members.
f. Every Chairman of the Episcopal Commissions, Permanent Committees and Offices shall have the authority to designate his Vice Chairman and Secretary, and to name the other members of his Staff, determining their tenure, tasks and functions, including their salaries, subject to the approval of the majority of the Members of the Permanent Council.
g. Each Chairman of the Episcopal Commissions, Permanent Committees and Offices shall have the added authority to form their own Board of Experts, determining their term of office, their duties, responsibilities, and even their salaries, subject to the approval of the majority of the Members of the Permanent Council.
D. Article XI: TENURE OF OFFICE
Section 3:
The Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen and members of the Episcopal Commissions, Permanent Committees and Offices shall serve for a term of two years. No one shall be Chairman, Vice-Chairman or member for more than a cumulative number of three terms in the same entity.
II. BY-LAWS
A. Article I: SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS OF EPISCOPAL COMMISSIONS
II. Department of Clergy Formation
Section 16: Commission on the Pontificio Collegio Filippino
The Commission on the Pontificio Collegio Filippino:
a. Shall administer the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome, that enjoys both ecclesiastical and civil juridical personalities, in accordance with the norms from the Congregation for Catholic Education and the consonant directives from the Conference, and pursuant to the laws of the Republics of Italy and of the Philippines.
b. Shall provide that enough number of priests chosen by the members of the Conference from their respective jurisdictions are sent to the College every scholastic year, taking into account their spiritual and emotional aptitude, priestly virtues, intellectual ability and physical health.
c. Shall determine the periodic and/or annual contribution of every Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction for the maintenance of the College in the event that such subsidy becomes necessary.
d. Shall present to the Congregation for Catholic Education for their appointment, the two Ecclesiastics who are to compose the Vigilance Commission of the College, viz., one for the discipline of the student Priests and the other for the administration of the temporal goods of the College.
e. Shall look after the financial viability and stability of the College, and shall give an annual financial Report thereon to the Conference.
f. Shall make the necessary recommendations to the Conference for the continuous maintenance and improvement of the College.