The Vatican’s synod office has said that final reports from Synod on Synodality study groups — including opinions on women deacons and issues such as LGBT inclusion — have been postponed until the end of the year.
Newsroom (08 July 2025, Gaudium Press )The Vatican’s Synod on Synodality has postponed final reports from its study groups, tasked with examining contentious issues such as women deacons and LGBT inclusion, until Dec. 31, extending the original June 30 deadline by six months, the Secretariat of the Synod announced.
The 10 study groups, established by Pope Francis in February 2024 to explore topics deemed too complex for discussion at the Synod’s second session in October 2024, faced delays following the pope’s death and the subsequent “sede vacante.” A synod secretariat spokesman told Catholic News Agency (CNA) that most groups requested additional time, receiving approval from Pope Leo XIV in June to continue their work.
These groups, composed of cardinals, bishops, priests, and lay experts from within and outside the Vatican, were formed to address themes raised during the Synod’s first session in October 2023. Pope Francis had directed that issues like women deacons and pastoral approaches to unspecified ethical and anthropological topics be studied in depth by expert panels rather than the full synodal assembly.
Among the most closely watched is the study group on ministries in the Church, led by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is examining the possibility of a female diaconate. The Secretariat of the Synod noted last year that this group provides “the context in which the question on the possible access of women to the diaconate can be appropriately posed.” The group’s membership remains undisclosed.
Another group is tasked with exploring pastoral strategies for ethical and anthropological issues, though specific topics were not detailed publicly. The groups’ findings are consultative, with Pope Leo XIV expected to use their reports to guide decisions for the universal Church.
Interim reports from the study groups are slated for release in July, according to synod leadership. On Monday, the secretariat published “Pathways for the Implementation Phase of the Synod,” a booklet for diocesan bishops and local synod teams. It revealed that Pope Leo has added two new study groups—one on “the liturgy in a synodal perspective” and another on “the statute of episcopal conferences, ecclesial assemblies, and particular councils.” A secretariat spokesman indicated these additional groups are unlikely to follow the same Dec. 31 reporting deadline.
The document emphasized the secretariat’s role in ensuring that the pope’s decisions, informed by these groups, align with the broader synodal process. It also outlined the next phase of the Synod, set to culminate in a Church assembly in October 2028. From June 2025 to December 2026, local Churches and groupings of Churches will focus on “implementation paths” for synodality. In 2027, the secretariat will organize diocesan and national evaluation assemblies, followed by continental evaluations in early 2028.
The document clarified that these evaluations are not for judgment or control but serve as opportunities to assess progress in implementing synodality, highlighting achievements and areas for improvement. Cardinal Mario Grech, synod secretary-general, emphasized in the booklet’s introduction that the process aims to advance “with a deep concern for the unity of the Church.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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