The Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa (CERNA) (French: Conférence Episcopale Régionale du Nord de l'AfriqueorConférence des Evêques de la Région Nord de l’Afrique) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic ChurchinAlgeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Western Sahara. Founded in 1965, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic hierarchy (i.e., diocesan, coadjutor, and auxiliary bishops) in those countries. The conference is based in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. The current President is Cristóbal López Romero, the Archbishop of Rabat.[1]
| Abbreviation | CERNA |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1966 |
| Type | NGO |
| Legal status | Civil nonprofit |
| Purpose | To support the ministry of bishops |
| Headquarters | Rabat, Morocco |
Region served | Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Western Sahara |
Membership | Active and retired Catholic bishops of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Western Sahara |
President | Cristóbal López Romero SDB, |
Main organ | Conference |
The Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa was founded in 1966, with Archbishop of Algiers Cardinal Léon-Étienne Duval as its first president.[1]
On 8 June 2007, members of the conference were received by Pope Benedict XVIinVatican City.[2] The five bishops present were Maroun Elias Nimeh Lahham, Claude Rault, Gabriel Piroird, Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, and Alphonse Georger.[2]
From October 6–9, 2013, the Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa met in Rome.[3] The bishops resided at the Pontifical French Seminary and met there to discuss issues facing the bishops' respective countries and dioceses.[3] The trip ended on October 9, when the bishops went to St. Peter's Square to hear Pope Francis' public address. Francis personally addressed the bishops from North Africa, calling for them to "consolidate our fraternal relations with Muslims."[3]
This is a list of the Presidents of the Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa:[1]
| # | Image | President | See | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardinal Léon-Étienne Duval | Algiers | 1966–1983 | |
| 2 | 
|
Bishop Henri Teissier | Algiers | 1983–2004 |
| 3 | 
|
Archbishop Fouad Twal | Tunis | 2004–2005 |
| 4 | 
|
Archbishop Vincent Landel, SCI di Béth | Rabat | October 2005 – January 2012 |
| 5 | 
|
Archbishop Maroun Elias Nimeh Lahham | Tunis | January 2012 – November 2012 |
| 6 |
|
Archbishop Vincent Landel, SCI di Béth | Rabat | November 2012 – 2015 |
| 7 | 
|
Archbishop Paul Desfarges, SJ | Algiers | 2015 – 2022 |
| 8 | 
|
Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero, SDB | Rabat | 2022 – |
Africa
