Articles / Special

Participants of the Synod on Synodality pose for a group photo, Oct. 26, 2024. (photo: Vatican Media / VM)

What is a synod?

A synod is a council of the Church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word synod is from the Greek sinodos meaning “assembly” or “meeting” and is similar to the Latin concilium meaning “council”. Sometimes the phrase “general synod” or “general council” refers to an ecumenical council, like the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

What is a Synod of Bishops and why do they happen?

At the end of the Second Vatican Council, Saint Pope Paul VI sensed the need for the Roman Pontiff to continue meeting periodically with the bishops of the world, which is why, on September 15, 1965, he established a new entity within the Church called the Synod of Bishops. The Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution that forms part of the Church’s long tradition of organizing ecclesial assemblies to deliberate on the most pressing issues of a particular place and time. Since its establishment in 1965, the Popes have called for and led a total of 15 General Ordinary Assemblies, 3 General Extraordinary Assemblies, and 11 Special Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops. The topics of each assembly are selected by the Pope. The most recent General Assemblies have been on Youth, Family, New Evangelization, the Word of God, and the Eucharist.

What is Synodality?

In the words of Pope Francis, a synodal Church is a “listening Church knowing that listening is more than feeling. It is a mutual listening in which everyone has something to learn. We must all listen to the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Truth to know what the Spirit is saying to the Church. […] This is what the Lord expects from the Church of the third millennium.” (Address at the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops, 17 October 2015)

Synodality provides opportunities to listen to the Holy Spirit and the People of God in order to discern together and walk forward on a common path, accompanying each other on the spiritual journey as we live out our missionary call to personal discipleship with our Lord.

What is the Synod 21-24?

The Synod 2021-2024 is a process by which the Universal Church is drawn together to pray, journey, listen and gather, to discern how to move forward as a Church, to make Her more successful in Her mission to proclaim the Gospel.

In this synodal process, the whole Church community is called together to pray, listen, analyse, dialogue, discern and offer advice on making pastoral decisions which correspond as closely as possibly to God’s will.

Synodal Journey

Diocesan Phase

Pope Francis officially opened the Synodal process on 10 October 2021 at the Vatican, initiating the Diocesan phase of the Synod. At the opening of the Synodal Process , Pope Francis reiterated, "The Synod is not a parliament, the Synod is not an inquiry into opinions; the Synod is an ecclesial moment, and the protagonist of the Synod is the Holy Spirit. If there is no Spirit, there will be no Synod."

During this period, Diocese’ were asked to consult with the people and groups of their Diocese, synthesizing their thoughts and conclusions into a document which could be tabled at the Continental Phase.

Continental Phase

The Continental Phase began in September 2022. The aim of this phase was the better substantiate and flesh out the insights coming from the local churches, within a continental perspective. Each Continental Assembly then drafted their own final document, reflecting the voice of God’s people within the continent, which would be offered together with the Diocesan consultation documents.

Concluding Phase

The Concluding Phase was launched with the Sixteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on 2 October 2024. 364 participants took part in this phase, including 70 non-bishops (including deacons, priests, consecrated men and women, and Catholic laity). The participants worked from and responded to Instrumentum Laboris, a document which synthesises responses and identifies priorities from across the Synodal process.

The Synod on Synodality’s Final Document

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

In a significant departure from previous synods, Pope Francis adopted the final document of the Synod on Synodality on 26 October 2024, foregoing the traditional apostolic exhortation in favor of direct implementation of the assembly's conclusions.

The 52-page document, approved by 355 synod members in attendance, outlines substantial proposals for Church renewal.

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

Key Developments

The document emerges 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 for strengthening pastoral councils at parish and diocesan levels.

The document advocates for regular ecclesiastical assemblies across all Church levels — including continental — and heightened ecumenical dialogue.

The text introduces the concept of synodal authority while acknowledging that in “a synodal Church, the authority of the Bishop, of the Episcopal College and of the Bishop of Rome in regard to decision-taking is inviolable.”

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

On this view, the text calls for a revision in canon law, “clarifying the distinction and relation 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 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 advocates for increased female participation in clergy formation and broader involvement in Church decision-making processes.

Lay Participation

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

New procedures for selecting and evaluating bishops and expanded 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 integrating synodality as a “constitutive dimension of the Church.”

The text also addresses accountability measures, calling for enhanced financial transparency and protocols for abuse prevention, declaring: “The need within the Church for healing, reconciliation and the rebuilding of trust has resounded at every stage of the synodal process.”

Background

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

The exercise aimed to balance traditional Church teaching with contemporary pastoral needs while promoting greater inclusivity and transparency in Church governance.

- Article by CT Staff