Catholic Biblical Federation: Executive Committee Meeting

On 26 August, Monsignor Juan Usma Gómez, Head of the Western Section of the DPCU, attended the online Executive Committee Meeting of the Catholic Biblical Federation (EC CBF). On the agenda was the renewal of the structures of regional coordination and the report of the General Secretary, Revd Fr Jan Stefanow, SVD, who outlined the importance of the biblical dimension of pastoral work in different continents.

In accordance with the CBF Statutes, five regions submitted the names of the candidates elected or re-elected as Regional Coordinators for their appointment. The Regional Coordinators appointed were: Fr Antony John Baptist, South Asia Sub-Region; Professor Ernesto Borghi, South-West Europe Sub-Region; Mgter. Gerardo García Helder, Latin America and the Caribbean Region; Dr Natividad Pagadut, South East Asia Sub-Region; Fr Eduard Patrascu, Central Europe Sub-region and Mrs Mary Sperry, North America Region. In the remaining six regions the election process has not yet been completed. The next meeting of the Executive Committee of the Catholic Biblical Federation will take place at the end of September.

The CBF traces its origins to the initiative of Cardinal Augustin Bea, President of the then Secretariat for Christian Unity in 1969, and maintains ongoing contact with the Holy See through the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. The aim of the CBF is to instil a biblical dimension in all fields of pastoral life, taking inspiration from the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum 22. The CBF is currently presided over by Cardinal Luis A. Tagle and has 350 members operating in 130 countries.

In 2019 the CBF celebrated its 50th anniversary.