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Synod proposes reforming canon law to give greater weight to laity, women in the Church
Confirmed
In Short: Among the proposals is the strengthening of the synodal dimension of particular councils, diocesan synods, and pastoral councils, aiming to promote greater equality between men and women in Church workplaces.
The General Secretariat of the Synod published a final report on Wednesday, recommending several amendments to the Code of Canon Law to increase the role of lay faithful and women in the Church's governance.
The report, prepared by a study group established after the Synod on Synodality, suggests revisions to canons that would allow lay individuals to take on more offices, roles, and ministries within the Church.
The report also calls for clearer agreements between dioceses and religious institutes, and a greater role for women religious in selecting bishops who oversee consecrated life.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelization, were among the members of the commission.
The report proposes new criteria for approving the establishment of institutes of consecrated life and appointing a delegate for consecrated life in every diocese.
The General Secretariat of the Synod must now examine the report, which is not binding and is one of seven final reports from the Synod’s original 10 study groups.
The Synod on Synodality established these groups in 2024 to prepare concrete proposals for renewing relations among bishops, consecrated life, and ecclesial associations.
The report concludes that the Church should move toward broader participation by consecrated men and women in discernment and decision-making processes.
The final reports of the study groups are defined as 'working documents,' and the groups are dissolved once they submit their final reports to the General Secretariat of the Synod.
What this adds
The report's proposals aim to enhance the role of lay individuals and women in the Church's governance, but the changes are not yet binding and must be examined by Pope Leo XIV.
What's confirmed
- The General Secretariat of the Synod published a final report on Wednesday, recommending several amendments to the Code of Canon Law to increase the role of lay faithful and women in the Church's governance.
- The report, prepared by a study group established after the Synod on Synodality, suggests revisions to canons that would allow lay individuals to take on more offices, roles, and ministries within the Church.
- The report also calls for clearer agreements between dioceses and religious institutes, and a greater role for women religious in selecting bishops who oversee consecrated life.
- Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Section for the First Evangelization and New Particular Churches of the Dicastery for Evangelization, were among the members of the commission.
- The report proposes new criteria for approving the establishment of institutes of consecrated life and appointing a delegate for consecrated life in every diocese.
- The General Secretariat of the Synod must now examine the report, which is not binding and is one of seven final reports from the Synod’s original 10 study groups.
- The Synod on Synodality established these groups in 2024 to prepare concrete proposals for renewing relations among bishops, consecrated life, and ecclesial associations.
- The report concludes that the Church should move toward broader participation by consecrated men and women in discernment and decision-making processes.
- The final reports of the study groups are defined as 'working documents,' and the groups are dissolved once they submit their final reports to the General Secretariat of the Synod.
What's still developing
- Specifically, the document supports changes to canons concerning the ability of lay faithful to exercise “offices, roles, and ministries within the Church for which they are qualified and competent, including in the realm of ecclesiastical governance.” The text, originally drafted in Italian and also available in English, is not binding and must now be examined by Pope Leo XIV.
- The commission tasked with studying the reforms was coordinated by Archbishop Filippo Iannone, prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and included prominent experts in canon law.
- Pius X Faculty of Canon Law in Venice, Italy; and Italian Father Gianluca Merlini, secretary of the commission.
- Among the most significant proposals is the revision of several canons to strengthen the synodal dimension of particular councils, diocesan synods, and pastoral councils.
- The proposal goes beyond expanding the presence of lay faithful and men and women religious.
- The document, originally written in Italian and also available in an English translation and a Spanish summary, states: “A clear mechanism for implementing gender equality in the workplace must be developed.” It also proposes publishing new criteria for approving the establishment of institutes of consecrated life and appointing a delegate for consecrated life in every diocese.
- That is one of the conclusions of a nine-page document released Sept. 8 by the Vatican’s General Secretariat of the Synod on the visits that regional groupings of bishops are required to make to Rome roughly every five years.
- The text also calls for an overhaul of the Vatican questionnaire, so that it focuses less on statistics, is better tailored to each local Church, and gives more space for bishops to say what they expect from an ad limina visit.
- The Catholic Church needs an “independent ecclesiastical commission” to evaluate bishops’ ad limina visits.
- “The Ad Limina Visits in a Missionary Synodal Perspective” is the second text prepared by Study Group 7, one of 10 groups established by Pope Francis in 2024 after the synod on synodality’s first session at the Vatican.
- Other members of the group included Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, before his election as Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Cardinal Mario Grech, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, and Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the synod on synodality’s relator general.