2023.10.28 ENG Synthesis Report IMP
2023.10.28 ENG Synthesis Report IMP
2023.10.28 ENG Synthesis Report IMP
Proposals
m) The richness and depth of the synodal process indicates the value of expanding participation, and
overcoming the obstacles to participation that have emerged so far.
n) There is a need to find ways to involve the clergy (deacons, priests, bishops) more actively in the
synodal process during the course of the next year. A synodal Church cannot do without their
voices, experiences or contributions. We need to understanding better the reasons why some have
felt resistant to the synodal process.
o) The synodal culture needs to become more intergenerational, with spaces for young people to
speak freely for themselves, within their families, and with their peers and pastors, including
through digital channels.
p) The Assembly proposes to promote theological deepening of the terminological and conceptual
understanding of the notion and practice of synodality before the Second Session of the
Assembly, drawing on the rich heritage of theological research since the Second Vatican Council
and in particular the documents of the International Theological Commission on Synodality in
the life and mission of the Church (2018) and Sensus fidei in the life of the Church (2014).
q) The canonical implications of synodality require similar clarification. For these, too, we propose
an intercontinental special commission of theological and canonical experts, ahead of the Second
Session of the Assembly.
r) Finally, a wider revision of the Code of Canon Law and the Code of Canon Law of the Oriental
Churches is called for at this time. A preliminary study is therefore advised.
Proposals
j) It is proposed that the Churches should experiment with and adapt conversation in the Spirit, and
other forms of discernment in ways they may consider appropriate drawing from diverse spiritual
traditions relevant to the needs and cultures of their contexts. Appropriate forms of
accompaniment can facilitate this practice, helping to grasp its logic and overcome possible
resistance.
k) Each local Church is encouraged to equip itself with suitable people trained to facilitate and
accompany processes of ecclesial discernment.
l) In order to illuminate ecclesial life, the practice of discernment can usefully be implemented in
the pastoral sphere, in a way that is contextually appropriate. This will make it possible to
recognise more readily the charisms present in the community, to entrust tasks and ministries
wisely. Going beyond the mere planning of activities we will be able to plan pastoral paths in the
light of the Spirit.
Proposals
k) If the Eucharist shapes synodality, then the first step we should take is to celebrate the Mass in a
way that befits the gift, with an authentic sense of friendship in Christ. Liturgy celebrated with
authenticity is the first and fundamental school of discipleship. Its beauty and simplicity should
form us prior to any other organised formation programme.
l) A second step refers to the widely reported need to make liturgical language more accessible to
the faithful and more embodied in the diversity of cultures. Without calling continuity with
tradition and the need for better liturgical formation into question, deeper reflection is needed.
Episcopal Conferences should be entrusted with a wider responsibility in this regard, according
to the Motu Proprio Magnum principium.
m) A third step consists in the pastoral commitment to widen community prayer beyond the
celebration of Mass. Alternative forms of liturgical prayer, as well as practices of popular piety,
in which the distinctiveness of local cultures is reflected, are elements of great importance in
fostering the involvement of all the faithful. They introduce the faithful to the Christian mystery
and bring those less familiar with the Church closer to an encounter with the Lord. Among the
forms of popular piety, Marian devotion stands out because of its ability to sustain and nourish
the faith of many.
Proposals
n) The Church's social doctrine is a too little-known resource. This needs to be addressed. Local
churches are invited not only to make its contents better known but to foster its reception through
practices that put its inspiration into action.
o) The experience of encounter, sharing a common life and serving those living in poverty and on
the margins should be an integral part of all formation paths offered by Christian communities:
it is a requirement of faith, not an optional extra. This is especially true for candidates for ordained
ministry and consecrated life.
p) As part of the rethinking of diaconal ministry, the Church should promote a stronger orientation
towards service to those who are poor.
q) Church teaching, liturgy, and practice must more explicitly and carefully integrate the biblical
and theological foundations of integral ecology.
j) Possible confusion between the Gospel's message and the culture of those engaged in
evangelisation was mentioned as one of the issues to be explored.
k) Increasing conflicts, with the trade and use of increasingly powerful weapons, opens up the
question, raised in several groups, of more reflection and formation in order that we can manage
conflicts in a non-violent way. This is a valuable contribution that Christians can offer to today's
world in dialogue and collaboration with other religions.
Proposals
l) Renewed attention is needed to the question of the languages we use to speak to people's minds
and hearts in a wide diversity of contexts in a way that is both beautiful and accessible.
m) We need a shared framework for managing and evaluating experimentations with forms of
decentralisation, identifying all the actors involved and their roles. For the sake of coherence,
discernment processes regarding decentralisation must take place in a synodal style, envisaging
the concurrence and contribution of all actors involved at different levels.
n) New paradigms are needed for pastoral engagement with indigenous peoples, taking the form of
a common journey and not an action done to them or for them. Their participation in decision-
making processes at all levels can contribute to a more vibrant and missionary Church.
o) From the work of the Assembly, there is a call for better knowledge of the teachings of Vatican
II, post-conciliar teaching and the Church’s social doctrine. We need to know our different
traditions better in order to be more clearly a Church of Churches in communion, effective in
service and dialogue.
p) In a world where the number of migrants and refugees is increasing while the willingness to
welcome them is decreasing and where the foreigner is viewed with increasing suspicion, it
is appropriate for the Church to engage decisively in education, in the culture of dialogue and
encounter, combating racism and xenophobia, especially through pastoral formation. Equally,
it is necessary to engage in concrete projects for the integration of migrants.
q) We recommend continued engagement in dialogue and discernment regarding racial justice.
Systems within the Church that create or maintain racial injustice need to be identified and
addressed. Processes for healing and reconciliation should be created, with the help of those
harmed, to eradicate the sin of racism.
Proposals
h) First and foremost, the request emerged to establish a permanent Council of the Patriarchs and
Major Archbishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches to the Holy Father.
i) Some requested to convoke a Special Synod dedicated to the Eastern Catholic Churches, their
identity and mission, as well addressing pastoral and canonical challenges in the context of war
and massive migration.
j) We need to establish a joint commission of Eastern and Latin theologians, historians and
canonists to address issues requiring further study and formulate proposals pointing a way
forward.
k) There needs to be adequate representation of members of the Eastern Catholic Churches in the
dicasteries of the Roman Curia to enrich the whole Church with their perspectives, to help
address problems as they arise and to enable their participation in dialogue at the various different
levels.
l) To foster forms of reception that respect the heritage of the faithful of the Eastern Churches, we
need to intensify relations between Eastern clergy in diaspora and Latin clergy to deepen mutual
knowledge and recognition of the respective Traditions
Proposals
k) The year 2025 marks the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (325) at which the symbol of the
faith that unites all Christians was elaborated. A common commemoration of this event will help
us to better understand how in the past controversial questions were discussed and resolved
together in Council.
l) In the same year, 2025, providentially, the date of the solemnity of Easter will coincide for all
Churches and Christian communities. The Assembly expressed a keen desire to come to a
common date for the feast of Easter so that we can celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, our
life and our salvation, on the same day.
m) There is also a desire to continue to involve Christians of other Churches and ecclesial traditions
in Catholic synodal processes at all levels and to invite more fraternal delegates to the next
session of the Assembly in 2024.
n) A proposal has been put forward by some to convene an ecumenical Synod on common mission
in the contemporary world.
o) It was also proposed that we might devise an ecumenical martyrology.
PART II
ALL DISCIPLES,
ALL MISSIONARIES
8. Church is Mission
Convergences
a) Rather than saying that the Church has a mission, we affirm that Church ‘is’ mission. “As the
Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21): the Church receives from Christ, the One who is
sent by the Father, Her own mission. Supported and guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church
announces and witnesses the Gospel to those who do not know it or welcome it. They do this with
that preferential option for the poor that is rooted in the mission of Jesus. In this way the Church
co-operates in the coming of the Reign of God, of which She is the seed (cf. LG 5).
b) The sacraments of Christian initiation confer on all the disciples of Jesus the responsibility for the
mission of the Church. Laymen and laywomen, those in consecrated life, and ordained ministers
have equal dignity. They have received different charisms and vocations and exercise different
roles and functions, but all are called and nourished by the Holy Spirit to form one body in Christ
(1 Cor. 4-31). They are all disciples, all missionaries, in the reciprocal vitality of local
communities who experience the delightful and comforting joy of evangelizing. The exercise of
co-responsibility is essential for synodality and is necessary at all levels of the Church. Each
Christian is a mission on this earth.
c) The family is the pillar of every Christian community. Parents and grandparents and all those
who live and share their faith in the family are the first missionaries. The family, as a community
of life and love, is a privileged place of education in faith and Christian practice, one that needs
special accompaniment within communities. Support is especially needed for parents who must
reconcile work, including within the Church community and in service to its mission, with the
demands of family life.
d) If the mission is a grace involving all the Church, the lay faithful contribute in a vital way to
advancing that mission in all areas and in the ordinary situations of every day. Above all, it is
they who make the Church present and who proclaim the Gospel, for example, in digital culture,
which has such a strong impact throughout the world; in youth culture; in the world of work and
business, politics, and the arts and culture; in scientific research, education, and training; in the
care of our common home; and especially through participation in public life. Wherever they are
present, they are called to witness to Jesus Christ in daily life and to explicitly share the faith
with others. In a special way, young people, with their gifts and fragilities, growing in friendship
with Jesus, become apostles of the Gospel to their peers.
e) The lay faithful are also increasingly present and active in service within Christian communities.
Many of them organize and animate pastoral communities, serve as religious educators,
theologians and formators, spiritual animators and catechists, and participate in various parish
and diocesan bodies. In many regions, the life of Christian communities and the mission of the
Church depends upon catechists. In addition, lay people serve in safeguarding and administration.
All of these contributions are indispensable to the mission of the Church; for this reason, the
acquisition of necessary competences should be provided for.
f) In their immense variety, the charisms of the laity represent distinct gifts to the Church from the
Holy Spirit that must be called forth, recognized, and fully appreciated. In some situations, the
laity may be called to help make up for the shortage of priests, with the danger that the lay
character of their apostolate risks being diminished. In other contexts, it may be that priests do
everything themselves and thus the charisms and ministries of the laity are ignored or
underutilized. In all contexts, there is a danger, that was expressed by many at the Assembly, of
"clericalizing" the laity, creating a kind of lay elite that perpetuates inequalities and divisions
among the People of God.
g) The mission ad gentes is mutually enriching for the Churches, because it not only involves the
missionaries themselves but the entire community, which in this way is inspired to prayer, the
sharing of goods, and witness. Churches lacking clergy should not give up this commitment,
while those with more vocations to the ordained ministry benefit from cooperating pastorally in
a genuinely evangelical manner. All the missionaries -- laymen and women, those in consecrated
life, deacons and priests, and particularly the members of missionary institutes and fidei donum
missionaries -- are an important resource for creating bonds of knowledge and exchange of gifts.
h) The Church's mission is continually renewed and nourished by the Eucharist, particularly when
its communal and missionary nature is fully expressed.
Proposals
n) We need more creativity in establishing ministries according to the needs of local churches, with
the particular involvement of the young. One can think of further expanding responsibilities
assigned to the existing ministry of lector, responsibilities that are already broader than those
performed in the liturgy. This could become a fuller ministry of the Word of God, which, in
appropriate contexts, could also include preaching. We could also explore the possibility of
establishing a ministry assigned to married couples committed to supporting family life and
accompanying people preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage.
o) Local churches are invited to consider appropriate means and moments of acknowledgment by
the community of lay charisms and ministries. This could happen on the occasion of a liturgical
celebration in which the pastoral mandate is bestowed.
Proposals
l) Local churches are encouraged to extend their work of listening, accompaniment and care to the
most marginalised women in their social contexts.
m) It is urgent to ensure that women can participate in decision-making processes and assume roles
of responsibility in pastoral care and ministry. The Holy Father has significantly increased the
number of women in positions of responsibility in the Roman Curia. This should also happen at
other levels of Church life, in consecrated life and dioceses. Provision needs to be made in Canon
Law accordingly.
n) Theological and pastoral research on the access of women to the diaconate should be continued,
benefiting from consideration of the results of the commissions specially established by the Holy
Father, and from the theological, historical and exegetical research already undertaken. If
possible, the results of this research should be presented to the next Session of the Assembly.
o) Cases of labour injustice and unfair remuneration within the Church need to be addressed
especially for women in consecrated life, who are too often treated as cheap labour.
p) Women’s access to formation programmes and theological study needs to be considerably
expanded. We suggest that women should also be integrated into seminary teaching and training
programs to foster better formation for ordained ministry.
q) There is a need to ensure that liturgical texts and Church documents are more attentive to the use
of language that takes into equal consideration both men and women, and also includes a range
of words, images and narratives that draw more widely on women's experience.
r) We propose that women receive appropriate formation to enable them to be judges in all
canonical processes.
Proposals
g) We believe the time has come for a revision of the 1978 document Mutuae relationes, regarding
the relationships between bishops and religious in the Church. We propose that this revision be
completed in a synodal manner, consulting all involved.
h) To the same end, it is necessary to put in place, in a synodal spirit, means and instruments for
promoting encounters and forms of collaboration between Episcopal Conferences and the
Conferences of Superiors and Major Superiors of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of
Apostolic Life.
i) At the level of both individual local churches and groupings of Churches, the promotion of
missionary synodality requires the establishment and configuration of councils and advisory
bodies at which representatives of lay associations and ecclesial movements and new
communities can meet in order to foster enduring relationships between their life and work and
that of the local churches.
j) In theological formation at all levels, above all in the formation of ordained ministers, the
prominence given to the Church’s charismatic dimension should be monitored and strengthened
where necessary.
Proposals
j) It is necessary to implement, in forms legally yet to be defined, structures and processes for
regular review of the bishop's performance, with reference to the style of his authority, the
economic administration of the diocese's assets, and the functioning of participatory bodies, and
safeguarding against all possible kinds of abuse. A culture of accountability is an integral part of
a synodal Church that promotes co-responsibility, as well as safeguarding against abuses.
k) There are calls to make the Episcopal Council (can. 473 §4), the Diocesan Pastoral Council and
the Eparchial Pastoral Council (CIC can. 511, CCEO can 272) mandatory, and to make the
diocesan bodies exercising co-responsibility more operational, including in legal terms.
l) The Assembly calls for a review of the criteria for selecting candidates for the episcopate,
balancing the authority of the Apostolic Nuncio with participation of Episcopal Conferences.
There are also requests to expand consultation with the faithful People of God, and to involve a
greater number of lay people and consecrated persons in the consultation process, taking care to
avoid being put under any undue pressure in the selection process.
m) Many bishops express the need to rethink the functioning and strengthen the structure of the
metropolitan sees (ecclesiastical provinces) and regions, so that they can become concrete
expressions of collegiality in a territory and, through fraternity, mutual support, transparency and
a wider consultation, become commonplace practices among bishops.
Proposals
k) In the light of synodality, we propose that priority should be given to providing programmes de-
signed and intended for the joint formation of the entire People of God (laity, consecrated and
ordained ministers). Dioceses should endeavour to encourage these projects within the local
churches. We encourage Episcopal Conferences to work together at regional level to create a cul-
ture of ongoing formation, using all available resources, including the development of digital
options.
l) A range of members of the People of God should be represented in formation programs for or-
dained ministries, as already requested by previous Synods. The involvement of women is of
particular importance.
m) Adequate standards and processes for selecting candidates for ordained ministry need to be ap-
plied to ensure that requirements for the propaedeutic programme for seminarians are met.
n) Formation for ordained ministers should be designed in a way that is consistent with a synodal
Church in the different local contexts. Before embarking on specific paths candidates should have
a significant, albeit initial, experience of life in a Christian community. Formation should not
create an artificial environment separate from the ordinary life of the faithful. By safeguarding
the requirements of formation for ministry, we can foster an authentic spirit of service to the Peo-
ple of God in preaching, celebrating the sacraments and enacting charity. This may require a re-
vision of the Ratio fundamentalis for priests and permanent deacons.
o) In preparation for the next session of the Assembly, a consultation of those responsible for the
initial and ongoing formation of priests should be undertaken to assess how the synodal process
is being received and to propose changes that will promote the exercise of authority in a style
appropriate to a synodal Church.
Proposals
k) We propose that initiatives enabling shared discernment on controversial doctrinal, pastoral and
ethical issues should be developed, in the light of the Word of God, Church teaching, theological
reflection and an appreciation of the synodal experience. This can be accomplished through in-
depth discussions among experts with diverse skills and backgrounds, in an institutional setting
that protects confidentiality and promotes frank discussion. When appropriate it should also
involve people directly affected by the matters under consideration. Such initiatives should be
set in motion before the next Session of the Assembly.
Proposals
n) What would need to change in order for those who feel excluded to experience the Church as
more welcoming? Listening and accompaniment are a form of ecclesial action, not just the
actions of individuals. They must therefore find a place within the ordinary pastoral planning and
operational structuring of Christian communities at different levels, making full use of spiritual
accompaniment. A synodal Church needs to be a listening Church and this commitment has to
be translated into practice.
o) We do not start this work from scratch. Numerous institutions and structures carry out the
valuable task of listening, including the accompaniment work of Caritas amongst the poorest,
and among migrants and refugees, and the many other contexts of accompaniment linked to
consecrated life or lay associations. Connecting their work in a more integral way with the local
Church community enables this work to be seen as part of the life of the whole community, not
a delegated task.
p) Those performing the service of listening and accompaniment, in its various forms, need
adequate formation, taking into account the experiences of those they come into contact with.
They also need to feel supported by the community. For their part, communities should become
fully aware of the meaning of this service exercised on their behalf and to receive the fruits of
this listening. We propose establishment of a ministry of listening and accompaniment in order
to give greater prominence to this service. It should be grounded in baptism and adapted to
different contexts. The way this ministry is conferred should promote the involvement of the
community.
q) SECAM (Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar) is encouraged to
promote a theological and pastoral discernment on question of polygamy and the accompaniment
of people in polygamous unions who are coming to faith.
Proposals
l) We need to provide opportunities for recognising, forming, and accompanying those already
working as digital missionaries, while also facilitating networking amongst them.
m) It is important to create collaborative networks of influencers that include people of other
religions or indeed who may profess no faith, but who wish to collaborate on common causes to
promote human dignity, justice, and care for our common home.
Proposals
h) Based on the understanding of the People of God as the active subject of the mission of
evangelisation, we suggest legislating for the obligatory nature of Pastoral Councils in Christian
communities and local churches. It would also be desirable to strengthen the bodies of
participation, with a proper presence of the laity, recognising the role they can play in discerning
decisions by virtue of their baptism.
i) Participatory bodies represent the first instance in which to experience the accountability of those
who exercise responsibility. While we warmly welcome and support their commitment, in turn,
they are invited to practice the culture of accountability to the community of which they are an
expression.
Proposals
i) Among the structures already provided for in the Code, the ecclesiastical province or
metropolitan see should be recovered and strengthened as a place of communion for the local
churches within their territory.
j) Relevant authorities should implement synodality at regional, national, and continental levels in
accordance with the insights that have emerged in regard to Church groupings.
k) Where necessary, we suggest creating international ecclesiastical provinces to benefit bishops
who do not belong to any Episcopal Conference and to promote communion among Churches
across national borders.
l) In Latin Rite countries in which there is also a hierarchy of Eastern Catholic Churches, we
recommend including Eastern Bishops in national Episcopal Conferences, leaving intact their
governmental autonomy established by their own Code.
m) A canonical configuration of the Continental Assemblies should be worked out that, while
respecting the particularity of each continent, takes due account of the participation of the
Episcopal Conferences and that of the Churches, with their own delegates who make present the
variety of the People of God.
20. The Synod of Bishops and Ecclesial Assemblies
Convergences
a) Even when the experience of “walking together” has been tiring, the Assembly sensed the
evangelical joy of being the People of God. The new experiences involved in this stage of the
synodal journey were generally welcomed. The most obvious ones include the shift of the
celebration of the Synod from an event to a process (as indicated by the apostolic constitution
Episcopalis communio); the presence of other members, women and men, alongside the bishops;
the active presence of fraternal delegates; the spiritual retreat in preparation for the Assembly;
the celebration of the Eucharist at St. Peter’s; the atmosphere of prayer and the method
Conversation in the Spirit; and the very arrangement of the Assembly in the Paul VI Hall.
b) The Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, while preserving its eminently Episcopal character, made
tangible on this occasion the intrinsic link between the synodal dimension of the life of the
Church (the participation of all), the collegial dimension (the care of the bishops for the whole
Church), and the primatial dimension (the service of the Bishop of Rome, guarantor of
communion).
c) The synodal process was and is a time of grace which encourages us. God is offering us the
opportunity to experience a new culture of synodality, capable of guiding the life and mission of
the Church. We recalled, however, that it is not enough to create structures of co-responsibility if
personal conversion to a missionary synodality is lacking. Synodal processes do not diminish the
personal responsibility of those called to participate in it at every level of the Church by virtue
of their ministry and charisms, but rather solicit it all the more.
The Word of the Lord takes precedence over words of the Church. The words of disciples,
even those of a Synod, are only an echo of what the Lord Himself says.
Jesus chose to speak in parables in order to announce the Reign of God. He found images to
speak of the mystery of God in the ordinary experiences of human life: the natural world, the work-
place, elements of the everyday. In this way, he let us know that the Reign of God transcends us yet
is not distant from us. Either we see God’s Reign in the things of this world, or we will never see it.
Jesus saw his own destiny represented in a seed falling to the earth, something of no value or
significance destined to decay, yet possessing the dynamism of life, a dynamism that is unstoppable,
unpredictable, Paschal. This is a dynamism destined to give life; to become bread for many; bread
destined to become the Eucharist.
Today, in a culture where people struggle against one another for dominance and become ob-
sessed with what is visible, the Church is called to echo the words of Jesus, to bring them to life again
in all their potency.
“With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it?” Our
Lord’s question throws light on the work that now lies ahead of us. It is not a matter of dispersing
ourselves over several fronts, reducing everything to a logic of efficiency and proceduralism. Rather,
it is a matter of grasping, among the many words and proposals of this Report, what appears as a
small seed, yet one that bears the future, and of imagining how to bring it to the soil that will enable
it to grow and mature for the benefit of many. "How will this happen?", Mary asked herself in Naza-
reth (Lk 1:34) after hearing the Word. There is only one answer: remain in the shadow of the Spirit
and allow yourself to be enveloped by his power.
As we look ahead to the period between now and the Second Session, let us thank the Lord for
the journey thus far and for the graces with which He has blessed it. We entrust the next phase to the
intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a sign of sure hope and consolation to the faithful People of
God as they continue their journey, and to that of the Holy Apostles Simon and Jude, whose Feast we
celebrate today. We are all invited to welcome the small seed that this Synthesis Report represents.
Adsumus Sancte Spiritus!
INTRODUCTION