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

The annual meeting of the Plenary Assembly of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) began Sept. 21, 2026 in Montreal, with the celebration of the Eucharist, at which CCCB President, Bishop Pierre Goudreault of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, presided.

During the opening proceedings, Bishop Goudreault presented the President’s Annual Report, reviewing the principal activities and achievements of the Episcopal Conference since the 2025 plenary meeting.

Among the developments highlighted were:

• Pope Leo XIV’s gift of 62 cultural artifacts from the Vatican Museums to the CCCB and their subsequent transfer to the National Indigenous Organizations and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, as part of the ongoing journey of healing, reconciliation, and relationship-building between the Catholic Church and Indigenous Peoples;
• the continued implementation of synodality in the Church in Canada;
• the establishment of a national Service for Migrant and Refugee Ministry (Human Mobility); and
• initiatives to strengthen the CCCB’s engagement with the federal government.

The Plenary Assembly also approved a letter to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, signed by Goudreault on behalf of the Bishops present. In the letter, the bishops ask for the Holy Father’s prayers as they undertake their common discernment and consider the pastoral priorities that will guide the work of the Conference in the coming year.

The letter also reflects on a number of matters facing the Church and Canadian society, including synodality, human dignity, artificial intelligence, migration, the sacred liturgy, and the Church’s responsibility toward victims and survivors of sexual abuse.

CCCB President’s Annual Report – LINK
Letter to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV – LINK

The CCCB Plenary Assembly continues its annual meeting in Montreal through Friday, Sept. 25.