Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario
The Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario (ACBO) is the association of the Catholic bishops in the Province of Ontario in the service of Catholics of Ontario.
By its very nature, the ACBO is a forum where the Bishops of Ontario reflect together and collaborate on projects to proclaim, celebrate and live the Good News of Jesus Christ in our province. It is an instrument of the collegiality that binds Bishops with each other under the leadership of the Bishop of Rome in a common purpose, a common mission, a common faith.
The Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario has achieved significant milestones in provincial education, public policy advocacy, and social development. A cornerstone of their legacy is the ongoing spiritual stewardship of the provincial Catholic school system, underscored by the release of influential pastoral letters like “This Moment of Promise” (1989), “Fulfilling the Promise” (1993), and “Renewing the Promise” (2018). Beyond the classroom, the assembly has actively championed healthcare ethics and medical conscience rights, serving as a critical voice alongside the Coalition for HealthCARE and Conscience. Furthermore, the ACBO has driven provincial conversations on economic justice through targeted publications addressing poverty reduction and agricultural care—such as “Fruit of the Earth and Work of Human Hands”—while successfully coordinating regional efforts for global initiatives like the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality.
The ACBO is one of four regional assemblies of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), which is located in Ottawa. The CCCB is the national association of all Catholic bishops of Canada.