Christus Dominus is the Second Vatican Council's

Second Vatican Council

The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...

 Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops. It was approved by a vote of 2,319 to 2 of the assembled bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

s and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI

Pope Paul VI

Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...

 on October 28, 1965. The title in Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 means "Christ the Lord," and is from the first line of the decree, as is customary for Roman Catholic documents. (The full text in English is available from the Holy See's website.)

Apostolic College

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. http://www.christusrex.org/www1/CDHN/v3.html]

In these days especially bishops frequently are unable to fulfill their office effectively and fruitfully unless they develop a common effort involving constant growth in harmony and closeness of ties with other bishops. Episcopal conferences already established in many nations-have furnished outstanding proofs of a more fruitful apostolate. Therefore, this sacred synod considers it to be supremely fitting that everywhere bishops belonging to the same nation or region form an association which would meet at fixed times. Thus, when the insights of prudence and experience have been shared and views exchanged, there will emerge a holy union of energies in the service of the common good of the churches. (CD 37)

Preliminary Note

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:

There is no such thing as the college without its head ... and in the college the head preserves intact his function as Vicar of Christ and pastor of the universal Church. In other words it is not a distinction between the Roman Pontiff and the bishops taken together, but between the Roman Pontiff by himself and the Roman Pontiff along with the bishops.

Episcopal conferences

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.

Regional conferences, such as the CELAM

Latin American Episcopal Conference

The Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano , also known as CELAM, is a conference of the Roman Catholic bishops of Latin America, created in 1955 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil....

, exist to assist in promoting common action on a regional or continental level, but do not have even that level of legislative power.

Controversy

After the publication of Humanae Vitae

Humanae Vitae

Humanae Vitae is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI and issued on 25 July 1968. Subtitled On the Regulation of Birth, it re-affirms the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church regarding married love, responsible parenthood, and the continuing proscription of most forms of birth...

 in 1968, several problems emerged with the notion of collegiality promoted in the document. The fact that several episcopal conferences would openly rebel against the Pope had been unthinkable during the papacy of Pius XII. Prominent members in the Roman Curia

Roman Curia

The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...

 deplored the fact that conference leaders appeared to behave as if they were regional popes. This complaint is notably found in the 1985 Ratzinger Report

Ratzinger Report

The Ratzinger Report is the name given to a long series of interviews, collected over several days, that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger gave to the Italian journalist Vittorio Messori in 1985, which discussed the state of the Roman Catholic Church after the Second Vatican Council.The Report was very...

, a series of interviews where Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger deplores the lack of structure, organization and coordination between Rome and the local assemblies of Catholic bishops.

Contents

1. Preface (1-3)
2. The Relationship of Bishops to the Universal Church (4-10)
   1. The Role of Bishops in the Universal Church (4-7)
   2. Bishops and the Apostolic See (8-10)
3. Bishops and Their Particular Churches or Diocese
   Diocese
   A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
   
   s (11-35)
   1. Diocesan Bishops (11-21)
   2. Diocesan Boundaries (22-24)
   3. Assistants in the Pastoral Office of the Diocesan Bishops (25-35)
      1. Coadjutor and Auxiliary Bishops (25-26)
      2. The Diocesan Curia
         Curia
         A curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i.e. more or less a tribe, and with a metonymy it came to mean also the meeting place where the tribe discussed its affairs...
         
          and Commissions (27)
      3. The Diocesan Clergy (28-32)
      4. Religious (33-35)
4. Concerning Bishops Cooperating for the Common Good of Many Churches (36-43)
   1. Synod
      Synod
      A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
      
      s, Councils and Especially Episcopal
      Bishop
      A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
      
      Conferences (36-38)
   2. The Boundaries of Ecclesiastical Provinces and the Erection of Ecclesiastical Regions (39-41)
   3. Bishops Having an Inter-Diocesan Office (42-43)
5. General Directive (44)