The Synod published two new reports calling for lay faithful and other ecclesial groups to take a more direct role in bishops’ decisions and visits to Rome.
On September 8, the General Secretariat of the Synod published two final reports proposing changes to relations between bishops, consecrated religious, ecclesial associations and the Holy See, including a recommendation that diocesan faithful participate in preparing the reports bishops submit before their official visits to Rome.
Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod, summarized the two documents by emphasizing what he called “differentiated co-responsibility,” adding that “there is no mission without transformed relationships.”
Report No. 6 examines the relationship between bishops, consecrated life and ecclesial associations, while Report No. 7 examines aspects of the person and ministry of bishops, including the selection of episcopal candidates, the judicial role of bishops and their official ad limina visits to Rome. The Report No. 7 has been published in a first and a second part.
Both documents call for a “relational conversion capable of renewing the ways of walking together in the universal Church” that would move beyond strictly “purely hierarchical approaches” in favor of shared “discernment.” In particular, Report No. 6 requests the participation of the laity in decision-making processes and synodal structures, while Report No. 7 proposes involving the “People of God” in drafting reports for the ad limina visits and in the selection of episcopal candidates. The bishops’ ad limina visits are transformed from a hierarchical report to the Pope into a moment of circular dialogue, prepared and verified by laypeople at the diocesan level.
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