German Bishops' Conference
Great importance was attached to the wording of the statute of the German Bishops' Conference, being confirmed on September 25, 1976 by the Apostolic See. Article 1 designates the German Bishops' Conference as "the union of the bishops of the dioceses of Germany". According to this formulation, including the bishops were on the territory of the GDR continued to German Bishops' Conference. The Bishop of Berlin was represented officially a member of the German Bishops' Conference and sat by his vicar-general of West Berlin.