DEPARTMENTS AND OFFICES: THEIR MANDATE, FUNCTIONS AND MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
JULY 2025
INTRODUCTION
In order to effectively carry out its mandate of evangelization, the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) established several operational structures under article six (6) of its Statutes. One of these operational structures is the Catholic Secretariat.
The Catholic Secretariat was established in 1959 to carry out the aims and objectives of the Statutes and By-Laws of the Bishops’ Conference and is regulated by them (cf. The Charter for the Catholic Secretariat Management Team, 2018, art. 5.1). Since its inception, the Catholic Secretariat has been growing in size, in terms of departments and programmes.
Inspired by the reform of the Roman Curia and the re-aligning of the Dicasteries of the Holy See by Pope Francis in 2022 (cf. Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium), the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) embarked on a restructuring process of its operational structures, in particular its Commissions and Secretariat. This restructuring was aimed at enabling these structures offer quality service to the Bishops’ Conference and the people of God in Zambia.
On 12th July 2024, during its second Plenary Meeting, the Conference adopted the restructured ZCCB Commissions and their Guidelines. Thereafter, the Conference mandated the Catholic Secretariat Management Team (CSMT) to study and propose a new structure of the Catholic Secretariat, aligned to the restructured ZCCB Commissions.
On behalf of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB), I am pleased to present to you in this document the New Structure of the Catholic Secretariat which was duly approved during the July 2025 Plenary Meeting.
The document outlines the Secretariats’ Offices and Departments as well as their mandate, functions and major responsibilities.
Fr. Francis Katongo Mukosa | Secretary General, Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB).
Download the entire copy of THE NEW STRUCTURE OF THE CATHOLIC SECRETARIAT here: https://caritaszambia.org/phocadownload/zccb/New-Structure-of-the-Catholic-Secretariat-July-2025.pdf
