‘Something new is growing’: final synod document calls for greater participation and transparency

In a milestone moment for the Catholic Church, the Synod on Synodality concluded its 2024 assembly with a call for renewal and inclusivity across the global Catholic community. The final document, approved on 26 October, said parishes and dioceses must move quickly to give life to the consultative bodies and broad participation in mission and ministry already foreseen by Church law if the Catholic Church is to have any hope of becoming a more ‘synodal’ Church.

‘Without concrete changes in the short term, the vision of a synodal Church will not be credible and this will alienate those members of the People of God who have drawn strength and hope from the synodal journey,’ the members said in the final document.

The approval process involved a vote on each of the document’s 155 paragraphs, allowing synod members to scrutinise the document’s recommendations thoroughly. Every paragraph required a two-thirds majority to pass, with 237 votes necessary for approval out of the 355 members present and voting. Synod officials confirmed that each section met the approval threshold, although some topics stirred more debate than others. For instance, the paragraph concerning women’s roles in the Church had the highest dissenting votes, with 97 members voting no. Despite this, the paragraph passed with a 72 per cent majority, exceeding the required 66 per cent.

Pope Francis, who called the synod in 2021, addressed the synod members as they completed their work, praising their efforts and expressing his hopes for the document’s continuing influence. Rather than issuing a separate letter or statement after the synod, he decided to let the final document stand as the primary guide for local churches. ‘There are already highly concrete indications in the document that can be a guide for the mission of the churches in the different continents and contexts,’ the Pope told synod members. ‘For that reason, I do not intend to publish an apostolic exhortation. What we have approved is enough.’

The synod’s final document presents synodality not simply as an occasional gathering but as a defining ‘style of Christian life’ that respects ‘the equal dignity of all the baptised’ and invites each person to contribute to the Church’s mission. Pope Francis explained that the process was not about creating uniformity but fostering harmony inspired by the Holy Spirit, much like the unity seen at Pentecost.

This document is important, but there is a document that was not written, which is the experience.

Speaking at a media conference after the synod’s final session, Cardinal Mario Grech, the synod’s Secretary-General, and Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, its Relator General, echoed the Pope’s sentiments. Both highlighted the spiritual experience of the synod, describing it as a journey of collective discernment and learning. ‘For me, personally, this document is important, but there is a document that was not written, which is the experience,’ Cardinal Grech noted, underscoring the transformative impact the process had on many participants.

Cardinal Hollerich added, ‘We have walked together, and now we know that we have to keep walking together in the future. That’s, I think, the great lesson we could experience.’ He emphasised that the synodal approach transcended political divisions, focusing instead on fostering a genuine community of faith.

The synod document calls for several concrete steps to encourage broader participation in the Church’s mission. Among these is the call to empower parish and diocesan consultative bodies and expand lay involvement in ministry and governance roles.

The document’s proposals range from reforms that would require more extensive study—such as women’s access to the diaconate and changes to seminary education—to actions that can be implemented immediately. The latter include ensuring that parishes have representative pastoral councils and urging bishops to make these councils mandatory. The synod document stresses the need for priests and bishops to consult these councils genuinely and respect their advice. ‘They may not act as if the consultation had not taken place,’ the document noted, pointing to the need for accountability and transparency in decision-making.

Pope Francis acknowledged that these reforms require time, prayer and discernment, while emphasising that the process is not meant to ‘postpone decisions indefinitely’. Rather, it aims to embrace a ‘synodal style with which even the Petrine ministry is to be exercised,’ integrating listening and discernment with decisive action.

One of the most discussed issues was the role of women in the Church. The synod document underscores the equal dignity of women and men through baptism and called for expanded recognition of women’s contributions in ministry and leadership.

‘Women continue to encounter obstacles in obtaining a fuller recognition of their charisms, vocation and roles in all the various areas of the Church’s life,’ the document says, noting that this lack of recognition hinders the Church’s mission.

In addition to affirming the need for women to hold leadership roles, the document suggests that laypeople—especially women—be hired to teach in seminaries. And synod members noted that the question of women deacons remains open and that discernment on this question ‘needs to continue’.

Synodality will help to overcome clericalism, understood as the use of power to one’s own advantage and the distortion of the authority of the Church.

The synod called on the General Secretariat of the synod to oversee the study groups established earlier in the year to research these complex issues. Their findings are expected to be reported to Pope Francis in June.

The final document also confronted the need to overcome clericalism and the abuses of power to which it contributes. Synod members acknowledged that abuse—whether sexual, economic or emotional—stems from a misuse of authority. ‘Synodality will help to overcome clericalism, understood as the use of power to one’s own advantage and the distortion of the authority of the Church,’ they wrote.

In the synodal vision, lay involvement and accountability are central to breaking down these harmful dynamics. Synod members insisted that listening, consultation and discernment are essential not only before decisions are made but also afterwards as part of ongoing processes for accountability and regular evaluation. ‘Ensuring accountability and regularly evaluating all those who minister in the Church’s name is not a bureaucratic task for its own sake. It is rather a communication effort that proves to be a powerful educational tool for bringing about a change in culture.’

Lay men and women have many talents that can and should assist bishops and parish priests in the smooth functioning of their dioceses or parishes, synod members said. Tapping into those talents can help bishops and priests, who often feel overworked.

Speaking at a news conference at the conclusion of the synod, Jesuit Fr Giacomo Costa, a special secretary for the synodal assembly, reflected on the call to a more outward-focused Church, describing it as ‘pilgrims rooted in movement’ and contrasting this vision with traditional notions of parishes as insular communities. Instead, he said, the Church must serve as a ‘meeting point’ for a variety of people—long-time parishioners, newcomers and even those passing through.

Something new is growing, a new reality of being Church together.

‘The Church must be an open hub,’ Fr Costa said, emphasising that its mission extends beyond ‘the closed walls of one’s own parish, own bell tower and own priest’. This wider invitation to participation, he argued, mirrors the Eucharist, ‘which expresses this union that goes beyond all borders and in Christ makes us discover each other as brothers and sisters’.

Speaking at the final session of the synod, Pope Francis called the final document a ‘triple gift’ and spoke of his role in safeguarding harmony. He urged the Church to amplify the Holy Spirit’s ‘whisper of love’, encouraging participants to ‘open doors, without erecting walls’. Reiterating the need for openness and humility, particularly from those in positions of authority, he said, ‘How bad it is when women and men of the Church erect walls. The Gospel is for “everyone, everyone, everyone!” We must not behave as if we were dispensers of grace who appropriate the treasure and tie the hands of the merciful God.’

Reflecting on the journey that synod participants have been on over the past few years, Cardinal Hollerich said, ‘Last year you could still say there was a majority group and a minority group, which eyed each other sometimes with suspicion.’ This year, however, ‘the experience was completely different,’ he said. Through prayer, mutual listening, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, ‘something new is growing, a new reality of being Church together.’