Pope Francis made a surprise announcement at the end of the Synod on Saturday. He said he won’t be making any modifications to the final document, as drafted by the Synod Assembly, but that he approves it as is. The news was greeted by applause on the part of Synod participants.
POPE FRANCIS
There are already very concrete indications in the document that can be a guide for the mission of the Church in different continents, in different contexts. As far as I make it immediately available to everyone that is why I said it should be published..
Popes usually take time to study the text drafted by the Synod which is, essentially, a consultative body. They can then decide to publish their own personal conclusions.
This time, the Pope has decided not to make any changes. He said it was a way of continuing the idea of the Synod, and rewarding the work done over the last three years. This has proved to be the most experimental Synod ever, insofar as it included not only bishops, but lay people too as full voting members. Preparations for the Synod saw some novel initiatives, like conducting the largest survey of baptized Catholics ever carried out in the history of the Church.
POPE FRANCIS
In this way, I want to recognize the value of the synodal path we have concluded, through this document I deliver to the holy and faithful People of God.
The Synod final document contains 155 points. Each one was approved with the votes of more than two thirds of the assembly. The one that received the fewest favorable votes, 97 out of 355, was the one dedicated to the role of women in the Church.
It asks that the Church make a greater commitment to complying with canon law, and offering women the positions to which they are allowed access. On the other hand, it points out that the “diaconal ministry” for women remains an open question. The Pope and the Prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith appear willing to study the possibility of a female diaconate that doesnot imply any type of ordination.
The Synod document covers multiple topics, including the importance of Christians, especially seminarians, receiving something it calls an integral education: not just spiritual but also affective. The document also calls for a closer relationship between the members of different Church institutions with the aim of fostering a sense of community. It also proposes promoting Church unity through concrete gestures, and suggests that Christians of different denominations could celebrate Easter on the same day next year.
