The operation, authority, and responsibilities of episcopal conferences are currently governed by the
1983 Code of Canon Law (see especially canons 447–459) In addition, there are
assemblies of bishops which include the bishops of different rites in a nation, both
Eastern Catholic and
Latin Catholic; these are described in canon 322 §2 of the
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. The nature of episcopal conferences, and their
magisterial authority in particular, was subsequently clarified by
Pope John Paul II in his 1998
motu proprio,
Apostolos suos, which stated that the declarations of such conferences "constitute authentic magisterium" when approved unanimously by the conference; otherwise the conference must achieve a two-thirds majority and seek the , that is, recognition of approval, of the Holy See, which they will not receive if the majority "is not substantial". In the 2013
apostolic exhortation,
Evangelii Gaudium,
Pope Francis expressed his concern that the intent of the Second Vatican Council, which would give episcopal conferences "genuine doctrinal authority, has not yet been sufficiently elaborated". On September 9, 2017, Pope Francis modified
canon law, granting episcopal conferences specific authority "to faithfully prepare … approve and publish the liturgical books for the regions for which they are responsible after the confirmation of the Apostolic See." The
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, which formerly had primary responsibility for translations, was ordered to "help the Episcopal Conferences to fulfil their task." On October 22, 2017, the Holy See released a letter that Pope Francis had sent to the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal
Robert Sarah, clarifying that the Holy See and its departments would have only limited authority to confirm liturgical translations recognized by a local episcopal conference. In late February, 2018, the
Council of Cardinals and Pope Francis undertook a consideration of the theological status of episcopal conferences, re-reading Pope John Paul II's
Apostolos Suos in the light of Pope Francis's
Evangelii Gaudium. ==List of episcopal conferences==