What you need to know National Catholic Register

Compared to its 2023 predecessor, the text presents more concrete recommendations and clearer structural guidelines.

In a significant departure from previous synods, Pope Francis on Saturday adopted the Synod’s final document on Synodality, abandoning the traditional apostolic exhortation in favor of direct implementation of the assembly’s conclusions.

The 52-page document, approved by the 355 members of the synod present, presents substantial proposals for the renewal of the Church.

The proposals include expanded leadership roles for women, greater lay participation in decision-making and significant structural reforms.

Key developments

The document results from a two-year consultative process that began in 2021, incorporating 1,135 amendments from both collective and individual submissions.

Compared to its 2023 predecessor, the text presents more concrete recommendations and clearer structural guidelines.

The final document is organized into five main sections and calls for five forms of conversion: spiritual, relational, procedural, institutional, and missionary.

Structural reforms

Among the most significant proposals is a call to strengthen pastoral councils at parish and diocesan level.

The document pleads for regular ecclesiastical gatherings at all levels of the Church – including the continental one – and for an intense ecumenical dialogue.

The text introduces the concept of synodal authority while recognizing that “in a synodal Church, the decision-making authority of the Bishop, the College of Bishops and the Bishop of Rome is inviolable.”

“Such an exercise of authority, however, is not without limits,” the document adds.

From this point of view, the text calls for a review of canon law, “clarifying the distinction and relationship between consultation and deliberation and shedding light on the responsibilities of those who play different roles in the decision-making process.”

Women’s leadership

In a notable development, the document explicitly states that “there is no reason or impediment” to prevent women from assuming leadership roles in the Church.

Furthermore, “the question of women’s access to diaconal ministry remains open” and that discernment should continue.

The text pleads for an increased participation of women in the formation of the clergy and a wider involvement in the decision-making processes of the Church.

The participation of the laity

The document significantly expands the role of lay believers in the governance of the Church. It calls for their increased presence in synodal meetings and in all phases of church decision-making.

New procedures for selecting and evaluating bishops and expanding lay participation in diocesan leadership and canonical processes are proposed.

Implementation phase

While Pope Francis has declared the synodal path “completed,” the document emphasizes that a crucial implementation phase lies ahead. This next stage will focus on the integration of synodality as a “constitutive dimension of the Church”.

The text also addresses accountability measures, calling for increased financial transparency and protocols to prevent abuse, stating: “The need within the Church for healing, reconciliation and restoration of trust resonated at every stage of the synodal process.”

Background

The document is the culmination of one of the most extensive consultative processes in the history of the Church, building on both the work of the 2023 assembly and the wider synodal journey initiated by Pope Francis in 2021.

The exercise sought to balance traditional Church teaching with contemporary pastoral needs, while promoting greater inclusiveness and transparency in Church governance.