The synodal journey of the Church has taken a new step forward. Always having as its objective "the synodal conversion of the Church in view of the mission". The Instrumentun Laboris (IL) has in fact been published and presented, which is first and foremost a working tool for the members of the Second Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops that will meet this month of October.

The text arises from the reflections that the Episcopal Conferences, the Eastern Catholic Churches and other international ecclesial realities, in addition from the reports presented by the parish priests in the three-day meeting Parish Priests for the Synod, have carried out around the Summary Report of the First Session (4-29 October 2023) in light of the indications given by the General Secretariat of the Synod through the document Towards October 2024.

The Instrumentum laboris is developed in five sections.

The first section is dedicated to the Foundations of the synodality understanding, “which reiterates the awareness matured along the path and sanctioned by the 1^st Session” celebrated last October 2023.

These are followed by three others closely parts intertwined, “which illuminate the missionary synodal life of the Church from different perspectives”:

I) the perspective of Relations – with the Lord, between brothers and sisters and between Churches – “which support the vitality of the Church much more radically than its structures”;

II) the perspective of the Paths “which concretely support and nourish the dynamism of relationships”;

III) the perspective of the Places "which, against the temptation of an abstract universalism, speak of the concreteness of the contexts in which relationships are embodied, with their variety, plurality and interconnection, and with their rootedness in the original foundation of the profession of faith."

The document is very broad and addresses numerous issues. Of particular interest is the section regarding the role of women in the Church. In fact, the contributions of the Episcopal Conferences recognize that "there are numerous areas of the life of the Church open to the participation of women". However, "they also note that these possibilities for participation often remain unused." For this reason, they suggest that the Second Session "promote awareness and encourage further development in the context of Parishes, Dioceses and other ecclesial realities, including positions of responsibility."

Many bishops also ask to "explore further ministerial and pastoral forms that give better expression to the charisms that the Spirit pours out on women in response to the pastoral needs of our time."

In this regard, the Instrumentum laboris cites what was written by a Latin American Episcopal Conference: "In our culture, the presence of machismo remains strong, while a more active participation of women in all ecclesial spheres is necessary. As Pope Francis states, their perspective is indispensable in decision-making processes and in the assumption of roles in the various forms of pastoral care and mission."

Concrete requests

Still on the theme of the women’s role, the document reports that from the contributions of the Episcopal Conferences’, concrete requests emerge to be submitted to the examination of the Second Session, including:

a) the promotion of spaces for dialogue in the Church, so that women can share experiences, charisms, skills, spiritual, theological and pastoral intuitions for the good of the whole Church;

b) greater participation of women in the processes of ecclesial discernment and in all phases of decision-making processes (elaboration and decision-making);

c) greater access to positions of responsibility in Dioceses and ecclesiastical institutions, in line with existing provisions;

d) greater recognition and more decisive support for the life and charisms of Consecrated Women and their employment in positions of responsibility;

e) women's access to positions of responsibility in Seminaries, Institutes and Theological Faculties;

f) an increase in the number of women who serve as judges in canonical processes.

The question of the women’s admission to the diaconal ministry is more controversial. "Some local Churches" are asking for it, while "others reiterate their opposition". This theme, the document specifies, "will not be the subject of the work of the Second Session," but "it is good that theological reflection continues, with appropriate times and methods."

In this context, the Instrumentum laboris records, more generally, “the desire for a strengthening of all the ministries exercised by the laity (men and women)”. With the specific request that “faithful laity, men and women, adequately trained can contribute to the preaching of the Word of God also during the celebration of the Eucharist", that is, they can give homilies during the Mass.

Finally, the document recalls that on particular issues, such as access to the diaconate for women, the Pope has established 10 ad hoc working groups. Because these are "issues of great importance, some of which require to be addressed at the level of the entire Church and in collaboration with the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia".

However, it is not a question of "removing certain themes from the debate of the assembly, which has already expressed a convergence as to their importance, but rather of providing useful elements from a theological and canonical point of view to offer to the ministry of Peter."

See, L’Instrumentun Laboris del Sinodo. La “guida” verso il Sinodo: più spazio alle donne nella Chiesa

See alco the integral document ENG-INSTRUMENTUM-LABORIS-A4.pdf (synod.va)