Christus Dominus

Christus Dominus (abbreviation "CD") is the Second Vatican Council's Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops. It was approved by a vote of 2,319 to 2[1] of the assembled bishops and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 28 October 1965.[2] The title in Latin means "Christ the Lord" and is from the first line of the decree, as is customary for Roman Catholic documents. Christus Dominus calls for strong episcopal conferences of bishops, to set the standard for the church in their region, while fully supporting the Vatican and the Pope. [2] (The full text in English is available from the Holy See's website.)



The First Vatican Council of 1869–1870 focused on the pope and defined the doctrine of "papal infallibility" but it never got around to saying anything about the other bishops. Thus, when Pope John XXIII called for a Second Vatican Council, everyone expected it to take up this unfinished business.[4]

Apostolic College[edit]

The role of the bishops of the church was brought into renewed prominence, especially when seen collectively, as a college that has succeeded to that of the apostles in teaching and governing the church. This college does not exist without its head, the successor of St. Peter.[5]


Preliminary note[edit]

Accordingly, claims made by some, that the council gave the church two separate earthly heads, the College of Bishops and the Pope, were countered by the Preliminary Explanatory Note added to the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium and printed at the end of the text.

This Note states:


Episcopal conferences[edit]

In many countries, bishops already held regular conferences to discuss common matters. The council required the setting up of such episcopal conferences, entrusting to them responsibility for the necessary adaptation to local conditions of general norms. Certain decisions of the conferences have binding force for individual bishops and their dioceses, but only if adopted by a two-thirds majority and confirmed by the Holy See.[citation needed]





  1. Preface (1-3)
    2. Bishops and the Apostolic See (8-10)
    1. Diocesan Bishops (11-21)
    2. Diocesan Boundaries (22-24)
      1. Coadjutor and Auxiliary Bishops (25-26)
      2. The Diocesan Curia and Commissions (27)
      3. The Diocesan Clergy (28-32)
      4. Religious (33-35)
  5. General Directive (44)

See also[edit]


  1. ^ Sessio Publica VII, 28 Octobris 1965, Approbatio et proclamatio decretorum Concilii, in ASSCOV II, IV/V, 673. cited in Eusebio, Enrico C. (2009). "The Evolution of Christus Dominus and of its Teaching on the Catechetical Duty of Bishops". Landas: Journal of Loyola School of Theology. 23 (2): 49. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Christus Dominus". Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  3. ^ P., Hahnenberg, Edward (2007). A concise guide to the documents of Vatican II. Cincinnati, Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press. ISBN 9780867165524. OCLC 76786665.
  5. ^ "LUMEN GENTIUM". Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2009-04-29.