For the first time after the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic struck two years ago, Catholic bishops in the country will have their face-to-face meeting.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will be holding its 124th plenary assembly from July 9 to 11, 2022 at a retreat center in Tagaytay City.

Over 90 bishops are set to join the biannual meeting, which is also held every January.

Msgr. Bernardo Pantin, CBCP Secretary-General, said that among the topics to be discussed is the May 9, 2022 national and local elections.

“They will talk about and assess the 2022 elections,” he said in an article posted on the CBCP news website on Saturday.

Among the speakers include representatives from the Halalang Marangal Coalition and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).

As part of the discussion, the Catholic priest added that the bishops would be divided into different groups to talk “about their election experiences”.

“This is for them to know the sentiments of each other… and then looking forward, what they will do with the new administration,” Pantin said.

The meeting will be presided by Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, who assumed as CBCP president in December 2021.

The Conference is currently composed of 86 active bishops, 41 honorary members who are retired bishops, and two diocesan administrators.

For the past two years, Catholic bishops held biannual meetings online. (PNA)