THINKING ABOUT THE AUTHORITY OF EPISCOPAL CONFERENCES IN THE LIGHT OF THE CATHOLICITY OF THE CHURCH AND THE INCULTURATION OF THE GOSPEL

Reflection on the conferences of bishops has often centred on the notion of collegiality, a concept not found, however, in the texts of Vatican II. This reflection, starting from a deficient base, has led to impasses, particularly the one that consists, since 1985, of opposing affective collegiality to effective collegiality, episcopal conferences being credited only to the first. Yet, this opposition has no foundation in the conciliar texts themselves. To overcome this impasse, we have to return to the episcopal conferences their veritable theological environment. The texts of Vatican II show that this foundation is a matter of the note of catholicity of the Church, as this article seeks to demonstrate.