On the national, regional and ritual level

60. In episcopal conferences of a country or region (cf. CD 37) the bishops themselves "exercise their pastoral office jointly in order to enhance the Church's beneficial influence on all men" (CD 38). In the same way patriarchal synods exercise their ministry for their own rite (cf. DE 9) and inter-ritual Assemblies of Ordinaries for relations among various rites, within the sphere of their particular situation (CD 38).

61. In many countries or regions, through the medium of the Sacred Congregation for Religious and for Secular Institutes -- and in regions dependent on the Sacred Congregations for the Evangelization of Peoples and for Oriental Churches, with the consent of the respective Congregations -- the Holy See has set up Councils or Conferences of Major Superiors (both of men and women or mixed). Such Councils must be deeply sensitive to the diversity of institutes, work to enhance common consecration and to channel the energies of all dedicated to apostolic work toward the pastoral coordination of the bishops (cf. n. 21).

Wherefore, in order that Councils of Major Superiors fulfill their purpose with necessary effectiveness, it is highly useful that an opportune review of their activity be made periodically and that, in harmony with the different missions of institutes an equitable division of commissions or rather similar groups, duly united with the Council of Major Superiors itself, be organized.

62. Relations between the council of major superiors and the patriarchal synod, and similarly, relations between the same councils of major superiors and the episcopal conferences as well as inter-ritual assemblies, should be regulated according to criteria which determine the rapport between the individual institute and the local ordinary (cf. ES I, 23-25; 40); therefore indicative guidelines should also be set up according to the different needs of regions.

63. Since it is of utmost importance that the council of major superiors collaborate diligently and in a spirit of trust with episcopal conferences (cf. CD 35, 5; AG 33), "it is desirable that questions having reference to both bishops and religious should be dealt with by mixed commissions consisting of bishops and major religious superiors, men or women" (ES II, 43).

Such a mixed commission should be structured in such a way that even if the right of ultimate decision making is to be always left to the councils or conferences, according to the respective competencies, it can, as an organism of mutual counsel, liaison, communication, study, and reflection, achieve its purpose efficiently.

It is the competency, then, of the Shepherds to foster the coordination of all apostolic undertakings and activities, each in his own diocese; the same holds for the patriarchal synod and episcopal conferences for their respective regions (cf. CD 36, 5).

In questions regarding religious, bishops, if the need or utility require it -- as in fact it has in many places -- should create a special commission within the episcopal conference. Nevertheless, the presence of such a commission not only does not hamper the operation of the mixed commission, but rather postulates it.

64. Participation of major superiors, or, according to the statutes, of their delegates, also in other various commissions of the episcopal conferences or inter-ritual assemblies of local ordinaries (as, for example, in the commission on education, health, justice and peace, social communications, etc.), can be of great utility for the purposes of pastoral action.

65. The mutual presence by means of delegates both of episcopal conferences and of the conferences or councils of major superiors in each of the unions or assemblies of one and the other is recommended. Evidently, the necessary norms must be established in advance whereby each conference would treat by itself alone the matters of its exclusive competency.