(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 10.26.2024).- The second part of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which focused on synodality (the first part took place in October 2023), concluded in the evening of Saturday, October 26.
The Assembly has issued a Final Document consisting of 155 sections that does not constitute ecclesiastical magisterium. By the order of the Pope, it has been published immediately (in Italian and English). There is no plan for a Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation.
Since the Press Office of the Holy See provided the accredited press (including ZENIT) with the voting results for each section of the Final Document, the eleven numbers that received the most rejection were as follows:
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27: (43 “no”, 312 “yes”) on liturgy and synodality
- There is a close link betweensynaxisand synodos, between the Eucharistic assembly and the synodal assembly. In both cases, albeit in different forms, Jesus’ promise to be present where two or three are gathered in His name is fulfilled (cf. Mt 18: 20). Synodal assemblies are events that celebrate the union of Christ with His Church through the action of the Spirit. It is the Spirit who ensures the unity of the ecclesial body of Christ in the Eucharistic assembly as well as in the synodal assembly. The liturgy is a listening to the Word of God and a response to His covenantal initiative. Similarly, the synodal assembly is a listening to this same Word, which resounds as much in the signs of the times as in the hearts of the faithful. The liturgy is also a response of the assembly that is discerning God’s will in order to put it into practice. Deepening the link between liturgy and synodality will help all Christian communities, in the diversity of their cultures and traditions, to adopt celebratory styles that make visible the face of a synodal Church. To this end, we call for the establishment of a specific Study Group to which would be entrusted reflection on how to make liturgical celebrations more an expression of synodality. It could also consider the topic of preaching within liturgical celebrations as well as the development of catechetical resources on synodality from a mystagogical perspective.
60 (97 “no”, 258 “yes”) about the role of women
- By virtue of Baptism, women and men have equal dignity as members of the People of God. However, 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. This is to the detriment of serving the Church’s shared mission. Scripture attests to the prominent role of many women in the history of salvation. One woman, Mary Magdalene, was given the first proclamation of the Resurrection. On the day of Pentecost, Mary, the Mother of God, was present, accompanied by many other women who had followed the Lord. It is important that the Scripture passages that relate these stories find adequate space inside liturgical lectionaries. Crucial turning points in Church history confirm the essential contribution of women moved by the Spirit. Women make up the majority of churchgoers and are often the first witnesses to the faith in families. They are active in the life of small Christian communities and parishes. They run schools, hospitals and shelters. They lead initiatives for reconciliation and promoting human dignity and social justice. Women contribute to theological research and are present in positions of responsibility in Church institutions, in diocesan curias and the Roman Curia. There are women who hold positions of authority and are leaders of their communities.This Assembly asks for full implementation of all the opportunities already provided for in Canon Law with regard to the role of women, particularly in those places where they remain under-explored. There is no reason or impediment that should prevent women from carrying out leadership roles in the Church: what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped. Additionally, the question of women’s access to diaconal ministry remains open. This discernment needs to continue.The Assembly also asks that more attention be given to the language and images used in preaching, teaching, catechesis, and the drafting of official Church documents, giving more space to the contributions of female saints, theologians and mystics.
78 (33 “no”, 322 “yes”) on ministry of listening and accompaniment
- The synodal process has renewed the awareness that listening is an essential component of every aspect of the Church’s life: administering sacraments, in particular that of Reconciliation, catechesis, formation and pastoral accompaniment. In this light,the Assembly also focused on the proposal to establish a ministry of listening and accompaniment, showing a variety of perspectives.Some were in favour of this proposal, because this ministry would represent a prophetic way of emphasising the importance of listening and accompaniment in the community. Others said that listening and accompaniment are the task of all the baptised, without there being the need for a specific ministry. Others still underlined the need for further study, for example, of the relationship between this ministry of listening and accompaniment and spiritual accompaniment, pastoral counselling, and the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It was also proposed that a possible ‘ministry of listening and accompaniment’ should be particularly aimed at welcoming those who are on the margins of the Church community, those who return after having drifted away and those who are searching for the truth and wish to be helped to meet the Lord. Therefore, in this regard, discernment should continue. The local contexts where this need is more strongly felt can try to explore possible approaches upon which to base a discernment.
92 (39 “no”, 316 “yes”) on bishop’s advisory and deliberative vote
- 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 as it is grounded in the hierarchical structure of the Church established by Christ; it both serves unity and legitimate diversity (cf. 13). Such an exercise of authority, however, is not without limits: it may not ignore a direction which emerges through proper discernment within a consultative process, especially if this is done by participatory bodies.It is not appropriate to set the consultative and deliberative elements involved in reaching a decision in opposition to each other: in the Church, the deliberative element is undertaken with the help of all, and never without those whose pastoral governance allows them to take a decision by virtue of their office. For this reason, the recurring formula in the Code of Canon Law, “merely consultative vote” (tantum consultivum) should be reviewed to eliminate the possibility of ambiguity. It, therefore, seems appropriate to carry out a revision of Canon Law from a synodal perspective, 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.
124 (32 “no”, 323 “yes”) on “differences in pace” in each local church
- The guiding principle of the relationship among churches is the perspective of communion through the sharing of gifts. This combines attention to the bonds that form the unity of the whole Church with the recognition and appreciation of the particularity of the context of each local Church, along with its history and tradition. A synodal style allows local Churches to move at different paces. Differences in pace can be valued as an expression of legitimate diversity and as an opportunity for sharing gifts and mutual enrichment.This common horizon requires discerning, identifying and promoting concrete practices which allow us to be a synodal Church on mission.
125 (45 “no”, 310 “yes”) on Bishops’ Conferences
- Episcopal Conferences express and implement the collegiality of the Bishops in order to foster communion between Churches and respond more effectively to the needs of pastoral life. They are a fundamental tool for creating bonds, sharing experiences and good practice among the Churches, and for adapting Christian life and the expression of faith to different cultures. With the involvement of the entire People of God, they also play an important role in the development of synodality. Based on the outcomes of the synodal process, we propose the following:
a) to gather the fruits of deliberations on the theological and juridical statute of Episcopal Conferences.
b) to specify precisely the domain of the doctrinal and disciplinary competence of Episcopal Conferences. Without compromising the authority of the Bishop within the Church entrusted to him or putting at risk either the unity or the catholicity of the Church, the collegial exercise of such competence can further the authentic teaching of the one faith in an appropriate and enculturated way within different contexts in addition to identifying fitting liturgical, catechetical, disciplinary, pastoral theology and spiritual expression (cf. AG 22).
c) a process of assessment of the experience of the concrete functioning of Episcopal Conferences, of the relations among the bishops and with the Holy See so as to identify the particular reforms needed. The visitsad limina Apostolorumcan provide appropriate occasions for this;
d) ensuring that all dioceses are part of an ecclesiastical province and to an Episcopal Conference;
e) specifying that decisions made by an Episcopal Conference impose an ecclesial obligation on each Bishop who participated in the decision in relation to his own diocese;
126 (32 “no”, 323 “yes”) on Continental Ecclesial Assemblies
- In the synodal process, the seven continental ecclesial assemblies that took place at the beginning of 2023 are both a relevant innovation and a legacy that we must treasure. They are an effective way of implementing conciliar teaching on the value of “each great socio cultural region” in pursuit of “a more profound adaptation in the entire area of Christian life” (AG 22). In order to enable them to more fully contribute to the development of a synodal Church,it will be necessary to clarify the theological and canonical status of ecclesial assemblies, as well as that of the continental groupings of Episcopal Conferences. In particular, it is the responsibility of the Presidents of these groupings to encourage and sustain the continued development of this process.
129 (38 “no”, 317 yes) on particular Councils
- To realise a “sound decentralisation” (EG 16) and an effective inculturation of faith, it is necessary not only to recognise the role of Episcopal Conferences, but also to reevaluate the institution of particular councils, both provincial and plenary. The periodic celebration of these councils has been an obligation for much of the Church’s history and is currently provided for in the canon law of the Latin Church (cf. CIC can. 439-446). They should be convened periodically.The procedure for the recognition of the conclusions of particular councils by the Holy See (recognitio) should be reformed to encourage their timely publication by specifying precise deadlines or, in cases of purely pastoral or disciplinary matters (not directly concerning issues of faith, morals, or sacramental discipline), by introducing a legal presumption equivalent to tacit consent.
133 (37 “no”, 318 “yes”) on the creation of a Council of Patriarchs, Major Archbishops and Eastern Metropolitans
- In order to further these relations,the Synodal Assembly proposes to establish a Council of Patriarchs, Major Archbishops and Metropolitans of the Eastern Catholic Churches presided over by the Pope, which would be an expression of synodality and an instrument for promoting communion.The Council would also serve as a means of sharing liturgical, theological, canonical and spiritual patrimony. The migration of many of the Eastern faithful into regions of the Latin Rite risks compromising their identity. Instruments and norms need to be evolved to strengthen as much as possible collaboration between the Latin Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches to address this situation. The Synodal Assembly recommends sincere dialogue and fraternal collaboration between Latin and Eastern Bishops, to ensure better pastoral care for the Eastern Faithful who lack priests of their own rite and to guarantee, with the appropriate autonomy, the involvement of Eastern Bishops in Episcopal Conferences.
136 (37 “no”, 318 “yes”) on the Synod of Bishops
- The Synod of Bishops emerges as one of the most evident places where synodality and collegiality are to be practised. The Synod was established by Saint Paul VI as an assembly of Bishops convoked to support the Roman Pontiff in his concern for the whole Church. Today, transformed into a phased process by the Apostolic ConstitutionEpiscopalis Communio, it fosters essential relationships between the People of God, the College of Bishops and the Pope. The entire holy People of God, the Bishops to whom portions of the People of God are entrusted, and the Bishop of Rome participate fully in the synodal process, each according to their proper function. This participation is made manifest in the varied composition of the Synodal Assembly gathered around the Pope, which reflects the catholicity of the Church. In particular, as Pope Francis explained, the composition of this XVI Ordinary General Assembly is “more than a contingent fact. It expresses a way of exercising the episcopal ministry that is consistent with the living Tradition of the Churches and with the teaching of Vatican II” (Intervention at the First General Congregation of the Second Session of the XVI General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, October 2, 2024). The Synod of Bishops, preserving its episcopal nature, has seen and will be able to see in the future in the participation of other members of the People of God “the shape that episcopal authority is called to take in a Church that is aware of being constitutively relational and, because of this, synodal” (ibid) for mission. In deepening the identity of the Synod of Bishop, what is essential is that the relationship between the involvement of all, (the holy People of God), the ministry of some (the College of Bishops) and the presidency of one (the successor of Peter) appears and is concretely realised throughout the synodal process and in the Assemblies.
148 (40 “no”, 315 “yes”) on candidates to the priesthood configured in synodal style
- Throughout the synodal process,a widely expressed request was that discernment and formation of candidates for ordained ministry be undertaken in a synodal way.There should be a significant presence of women, an immersion in the daily life of communities, and formation to enable collaboration with everyone in the Church and in how to practise ecclesial discernment. This implies a courageous investment of energy in the preparation of formators. The Assembly calls for a revision of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis in order to incorporate the requests made by the Synod. They should be translated in precise guidelines for a formation to synodality. Formation pathways should awaken in candidates their passion for the mission to all peoples (ad gentes). Formation of Bishops is just as necessary so that they may better assume their mission of bringing together in unity the gifts of the Spirit and exercise in a synodal manner the authority conferred on them. The synodal way of formation implies that the ecumenical dimension is present in all aspects of the paths towards ordained ministries.
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