bishops' conference
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bishops' conference
The official body in which the Catholic bishops of a country or a specific region regularly gather to discuss and decide on common pastoral and church-political issues.
Die Deutsche Bischofskonferenz hat eine neue Handreichung zum Thema Umweltschutz veröffentlicht.
The German Bishops' Conference has published a new guide on the topic of environmental protection.
The word is a compound of 'Bischof' (bishop; in the genitive 'Bischofs') and 'Konferenz' (conference). The 's' in the middle is a linking sound that connects the two parts. The meaning is literally 'conference of bishops'.
Die Themen der Bischofskonferenz sind oft auch politisch relevant.
The topics of the bishops' conference are often politically relevant as well.
Common verbs used with 'Bischofskonferenz' (bishops' conference) describe its activities: It 'tagt' (meets), 'berät' (discusses/advises), 'beschließt' (decides/adopts), or 'veröffentlicht' (publishes/announces).
Die Bischofskonferenz tagt zweimal im Jahr.
The bishops' conference meets twice a year.
Most often, the bishops' conference is specified by the name of the country or region, for example 'die Deutsche Bischofskonferenz' (the German Bishops' Conference) or 'die Österreichische Bischofskonferenz' (the Austrian Bishops' Conference).
Der Vorsitzende der Deutschen Bischofskonferenz gab eine Presseerklärung ab.
The chair of the German Bishops' Conference issued a press statement.
council
'das Konzil' and 'die Bischofskonferenz' both have to do with bishops discussing matters in the Catholic Church. A 'Konzil' is a special church assembly where high-ranking dignitaries decide on fundamental questions of faith, doctrine, or church discipline. A 'Bischofskonferenz', on the other hand, is a permanent body of the bishops of a country or region that meets regularly. The words can be confused because in both cases bishops hold discussions. 'Konzil' is more suitable for a special, often very important assembly; 'Bischofskonferenz' is suitable for the permanent organization and its regular meetings.
Die Bischofskonferenz veröffentlichte nach ihrer Sitzung eine gemeinsame Erklärung.
After its meeting, the bishops' conference published a joint statement.
Das Konzil sollte klären, wie die Kirche mit der neuen Streitfrage umgeht.
The church council was meant to clarify how the Church would deal with the new disputed issue.