Pope Francis yesterday published a note calling on local churches to accept and implement proposals from the final document of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality, the Catholic News website reports today (Nov. 25, 2024).
The document "participates in the ordinary magisterium of the successor of Peter, and as such, I ask that it be accepted," the pope wrote in the note.
"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," he wrote nearly a month after the Synod's close.
The final document outlined key priorities for the Church, including increased participation of laity through new ministries and adjusted governing structures, greater transparency and accountability among Church leadership, and creating space for previously marginalized groups.
In his note, Pope Francis clarified that while the document is "not strictly normative" and must be adapted to contexts where it is applied, it still obligates "local churches to make choices consistent with what was indicated" in the document.
Meanwhile, he said, the General Secretariat of the Synod and various dicasteries of the Roman Curia will be tasked with overseeing the Synodal journey's "implementation phase."
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