Bishop Hagemoen elected co-treasurer for English sector on CCCB executive

Canada’s Catholic bishops elections held during national Plenary Assembly

Media release from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB)

Following the conclusion of the 2025 Plenary Assembly meeting, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) announced the results of its biennial elections for new members of the Executive Committee and Permanent Council.

The new CCCB President is Bishop Pierre Goudreault. He was born in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, on May 27,1963 and was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Rouyn-Noranda on May 18,1991. On 8 December 2017, he was appointed Bishop of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, Quebec, by Pope Francis. He was ordained to the episcopate and installed as Bishop of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière March 10, 2018. He has been a member of the CCCB Executive Committee since 2019.

The new CCCB Vice President is Archbishop Donald Bolen. He was born Feb. 7, 1961 in Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, and was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Regina on Oct. 12, 1991. On Dec. 21, 2009, he was appointed Bishop of Saskatoon by Pope Francis.

He was subsequently ordained to the episcopate and installed as Bishop of Saskatoon on March, 25, 2010. On 11 July 2016, he was appointed Archbishop of Regina and was installed on Oct. 14, 2016.

The CCCB also elected two Co-Treasurers: for the English Sector, Bishop Mark Hagemoen of Saskatoon (serving his first term); for the French Sector, Bishop Christian Rodembourg, MSA, of Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, (serving a second term).

All four members of the Executive Committee are ex officio members of the CCCB Permanent Council.

The following bishops were elected to the Permanent Council as representatives of the four regional episcopal assemblies: Archbishop Peter Hundt of St. John’s (Atlantic Episcopal Assembly); Bishop Alain Faubert of Valleyfield (Assembly of Quebec Catholic Bishops); Bishop Daniel J. Miehm of Peterborough (Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario); and Archbishop Murray Chatlain of Winnipeg (Assembly of Western Catholic Bishops).

To ensure an equal number of Bishops from both the English and French sectors of the CCCB, Archbishop Guy Desrochers, CSsR, and Bishop Pierre-Olivier Tremblay, OMI, were each re-elected as sectorial representative from the French Sector for a second term.

The remaining members of the Permanent Council include four permanent ex officio members: Cardinal Gérald C. Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada; Cardinal Frank Leo, Archbishop of Toronto; Archbishop Christian Lépine of Montreal; and Metropolitan Archbishop Lawrence Huculak, OSBM, of Winnipeg for Ukrainian Catholics in Canada.

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Information about the Plenary Assembly:

From Sept. 22 to 26, the members of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) gathered in Montreal, Quebec, for the annual meeting of the Plenary Assembly.

CCCB President’s Report at the Plenary Assembly Sept. 23 – LINK

This national meeting is always focused on how the Catholic bishops of Canada can serve the Church’s mission at the national level.

Topics covered during the full week of discussion carried out with prayers for the guidance of the Holy Spirit included:

• Reports – The Bishops received numerous reports on the activities and projects of various CCCB bodies.
• Pastoral Reflection – 1700th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea– In 2025, the Church commemorates the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the first Ecumenical Council held in 325 AD. This milestone invites Christians of all traditions – Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant – to reflect on the Council’s enduring legacy, to reaffirm the unity of faith articulated by the Council Fathers, and to recommit to fostering Christian unity today. To mark this occasion during the Plenary Assembly meeting, the Permanent Council invited Fr. Hieromonk Gregory Hrynkiw, Ph.D., a Byzantine-Catholic monk from the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon, to offer a pastoral reflection on the significance of this historic anniversary.
• Standing Committee for Responsible Ministry and the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons – The Standing Committee for Responsible Ministry led a discussion on its proposed Action Plan to Implement the Recommendations in Protecting Minors from Sexual Abuse (2018). Following the plenary meeting, a finalized version of the Action Plan will be sent to all diocesan and eparchial bishops as guidance for improving their safeguarding policies.
• Synod on “Synodality”– Bishop Alain Faubert updated the members on the newly established ad hoc committee on the Implementation of the Synod on Synodality, and outlined how the CCCB can help bishops at the local level during the implementation phase. This session included a presentation re-capping the Synodal Assembly last October, the Final Document released by the Synod and later approved by Pope Francis, the Implementation Phase and its pathways, as well as the committee’s mandate and membership. This was followed by workshops and plenary session for bishops to share reactions and expectations.
• Artificial Intelligence – The Church’s engagement with AI as a moral and social concern has grown in recent years. In January 2025, the Dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith and for Culture and Education issued Antiqua et Nova, examining AI and human intelligence, and in June, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the Church’s role in guiding ethical reflection on AI. To support bishops in Canada, the Permanent Council invited Fr. Philip M. Larrey, Ph.D., a scholar of philosophy and digital-era ethics, to deliver this year’s keynote address.

Final press conference (video):

 

Daily video summaries and reflections:

 

Overview:

A meeting of the Plenary Assembly is a solemn and important event in the life of the Church in Canada because it gathers together all the members of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), who total 80 bishops of the Latin and Eastern Churches across Canada. The Plenary Assembly of the Conference is its highest instance of authority. Decisions taken by the Plenary Assembly represent the unity of action of all the Catholic bishops of Canada on a national level. Convoked at least once a year, the Plenary Assembly considers a broad range of topics related to the Church’s evangelizing mission, including reports and questions from the Episcopal Commissions and other advisory bodies of the CCCB. The agenda, which is set by the Permanent Council, may also include discussions and pastoral reflections on special topics. Elections are held every two years to appoint members to leadership positions within the Conference.

Video summary of Day 1 – Sept. 22, 2025

ENGLISH – CCCB Plenary Assembly – Archbishop Donald Bolen of Regina on national ecumenical strategy, and Archbishop Guy Desrochers of Moncton on this year’s Jubilee Year projects:

FRENCH – Assemblée plénière de la CECC 2025: Mise à jour du 22 septembre

Video summary of  Day 2 – Sept. 23, 2025

ENGLISH – CCCB Plenary Assembly: Bishop Bryan Bayda of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada reflecting on the 1700th Anniversary of the Nicean Creed; and Bishop Joseph Dabrowski of Charlottetownon speaking about the CCCB Family and Life committee report

 

FRENCH – Assemblée plénière de la CECC 2025: Mise à jour du 23 septembre

Video summary of Day 4 – Sept. 25, 2025

ENGLISH – Bishop Alain Faubert of Valleyfield, Que. reflects on Synodality

 

FRENCH:  Assemblée plénière de la CECC 2025: Mise à jour du 25 septembre

 

Video summary of Day 5 – Sept. 26, 2025

ENGLISH – New bishops: Bishop Alan Campeau of Thunder Bay, ON; and Archbishop Charles Duval, CSsR, of Grouard-McLennan, AB

 

FRENCH: Assemblée plénière de la CECC 2025: Mise à jour du 26 septembre – Mgr. Jean Tailleur évêque auxiliaire à l’archidiocèse de Québec et Mgr. Pierre Charland, OFM, évêque de Baie-Comeau

 

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