Episcopal Conference of Italy

The conference was founded in 1971 and carries out various tasks, including setting the national liturgical norms for the Mass.

As of 2024 Italy has a total of 41 dioceses united in persona episcopi, or “in the person of the bishop.” [1] It is the only episcopal conference for which the pope appoints the president and secretary-general.

[2] In 2017, adopting a new procedure, the CEI members elected three candidates for president and submitted them to the pope, who was free to choose one of them or someone else.

[3] Pope Francis repeatedly urged the CEI bishops to organize a national synod as discussed at their conference in Florence in 2015, first through surrogates and then himself inviting them to undertake a synod, eventually telling them in January 2021 that it was their duty and the time had come.

[6] The conference established Italy's first national day of prayer for survivors of clerical sexual abuse on 18 November 2021.