Pope Francis on Monday clarified that the final Synod on Synodality document — which calls for structural changes, including more lay and women participation in the Church — is part of the Church’s ordinary magisterium and should be implemented by dioceses and churches.
“[The final document] participates in the ordinary magisterium of the successor of Peter, and as such, I ask that it be accepted,” Francis wrote in a Nov. 25 note about the 52-page document.
Authentic Teaching of the Pope
In his note, he clarifies that the final document is part of “the authentic teaching of the Bishop of Rome.”
Rather than publishing his own post-synodal document, the pontiff instead approved the synod’s final document in full on Oct. 26, the same day the synod issued it. Francis wrote in the note that by signing the document, he joined the “we” of the assembly participants who directed the document to the people of God.
Implementation in Local Churches
“[The final document] can already now be implemented in the local churches and groupings of churches, taking into account different contexts, what has already been done and what remains to be done in order to learn and develop ever better the style proper to the missionary synodal church,” the pontiff wrote, according to the Catholic News Service.
“Local churches and groupings of churches are now called upon to implement, in different contexts, the authoritative indications contained in the document, through the processes of discernment and decision-making provided by law and by the document itself,” Francis added.
The Holy Father wrote that the conclusion of the Synod on Synodality “does not end the synodal process.”
Strengthening Pastoral Councils and Lay Participation
The document calls for strengthening pastoral councils at the parish and diocesan level, but adds that such authority “is not without limits,” noting that the authority of the local bishop and the pontiff “in regard to decision-taking is inviolable.”
Additionally, the document calls for more lay participation in all ecclesiastical decision making. It specifically calls for more women in leadership roles but does not settle the question about a possible women’s diaconate. It also condemns exclusion based on a person’s “marital situation, identity, or sexuality.”
In the note, Francis emphasized that the final document is “not strictly normative” and that local churches should discern how to implement the document in a way that is consistent with the needs of their country and their region. However, he said, “Local churches [are obligated] to make choices consistent with what was indicated.”
“Each country or region, moreover, can seek solutions better suited to its culture and sensitive to its traditions and local needs,” Francis wrote, directly quoting his apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia.
“In many cases, it is a matter of effectively implementing what is already provided for in existing law, Latin and Eastern,” Francis wrote.
Oversight and Reporting
The pontiff also wrote in his note that bishops will report to the Vatican on the way in which they are implementing the document within their dioceses when making their required trip to Rome to meet with Vatican officials.
“[Bishops] will report on the choices made in their local Church concerning the indications in the Final Document, the difficulties encountered, and the fruits achieved, and are called to report on progress during their ad limina visits, sharing both challenges and fruits of their efforts,” Francis wrote, according to Vatican News, the official news outlet of the Holy See.
A Continuous Synodal Journey
“This journey has allowed the Church to read her own experiences and identify steps to live communion, realize participation, and promote the mission entrusted to her by Christ,” Francis wrote.
Vatican dicasteries and the General Secretariat of the Synod will oversee the bishops’ implementation of the final document.
This article was originally published on Catholic News Agency.
