The previous chairman, Jozef De Kesel, retired as Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels at the beginning of September.
The current Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels is starting a three-year presidential mandate, renewable twice. The Bishop of Hasselt, Patrick Hoogmartens, was elected vice-chairman. Bishop Jean-Pierre Delville of Liège was appointed as the third member of the executive board. These two mandates also run for a period of three years and are renewable twice. The conference’s secretary general, Bruno Spriet, is also part of the permanent council.
The bishops’ conference is a permanent consultative body within the Roman Catholic Church of our country. The resident bishops and auxiliary bishops determine the joint policy of the Belgian church province.