Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
# Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

## Overview

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is the permanent assembly of Catholic Bishops and Personal Ordinaries in the two member countries. The membership of the Conference comprises the Archbishops, Bishops and Auxiliary Bishops of the 22 Dioceses within England and Wales, the Bishop of the Forces (Military Ordinariate), the Apostolic Eparch of the Ukrainian Church in Great Britain, the Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, and the Apostolic Prefect of the Falkland Islands.

## Structure

### President

    Vincent Nichols, Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster

### Vice-President

    Malcolm McMahon, Archbishop of Liverpool

### General Secretary

    Christopher Thomas, Diocese of Nottingham

### Membership

* Diocesan, auxiliary and emeritus (retired) bishops of England and Wales
* Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Eparch
* Ukrainian Catholic Church Eparch
* Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham

### Departments

The conference is divided into departments each dealing with specific topic matters. There are seven departments, these being:

* Christian Life and Worship
* Education and Formation
* Social Justice
* Dialogue and Unity
* Evangelisation and Discipleship
* International Affairs

Each department consists of bishops and staff, and is chaired by one bishop. Other bishops contribute as episcopal staff, and there are a few other members serving as staff. Each department is further subdivided into committees; a separate member of the episcopal staff of that department oversees the reports and work of their committee.

### Other agencies

Other agencies of the Bishops' Conference include:

* CAFOD, - Catholic Agency for Overseas Development - the international development and humanitarian agency
* CSAN, the social action agency - "CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) is the social action arm of the Catholic Church in England and Wales"
* Catholic Education Service
* CYMFED - Catholic Youth Ministry Federation. CYMFed is recognised and supported by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. It is also a member of the Department for Catechesis and Evangelisation.
