The General Secretariat of the Synod publishes today the first two final reports of the Study Groups created by Pope Francis after the First Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops: that of Study Group no. 3 on The mission in the digital environment and that of Study Group n. 4 on The review of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis in a missionary synodal perspective.

Pope Leo

«In addition to the value of the contents, these reports testify to the experience of the path traveled together with the Dicasteries. It is not the first time that the Dicasteries collaborate on a common project, but here there is something more: an authentic exercise in listening, reflection and shared discernment. It is synodality put into practice, not a simple bureaucratic collaboration,” says Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod.

The Report on the mission in the digital environment (Group n. 3) YOU CAN READ IT HERE
The Report addresses a central question that arose during the XVI Assembly: how to live the mission of the Church in a culture increasingly marked by the digital. Based on a broad consultation in which pastoral agents, experts and ecclesial realities from all continents participated, the Study Group compiled experiences, analyzed challenges and formulated concrete recommendations.
Among the key themes are: the need to integrate digital mission into the ordinary structures of the Church; the deepening of the notion of territorial jurisdiction in the light of online communities; the training of pastors and pastoral agents in digital culture. The Report concludes with a series of operational proposals articulated at three levels—Holy See, Episcopal Conferences and dioceses—and includes an extensive section on the methodology adopted and the realities consulted.

The Report on formation for the priesthood (Group No. 4) YOU CAN READ IT HERE
Study Group No. 4, instead of proceeding to a review of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis (2016), which is considered still valid in its fundamental principles, has chosen to prepare a "Proposal for a guidance document" for its application in a missionary synodal key, in light of the indications of the Final Document of the XVI Assembly.
The document is divided into two parts. The Preamble outlines an ecclesiological-pastoral framework and identifies a series of conversions necessary in formation for the priesthood: relational, missionary, to communion, to service and to a synodal style. At the center, a strong idea: the identity of the priest is formed "in and from" the People of God, not separated from it.
The Guide Lines, in the second part, translate these conversions into concrete operational clues. Among the most significant proposals: the alternation between permanence in the seminary and residence in parish communities or other ecclesial environments; experiences and moments of formation shared with lay people, consecrated people and ordained ministers from the propaedeutic stage; the inclusion of prepared and competent women as co-responsible at all levels of training, including in the training team; the acquisition of skills for co-responsibility and community discernment. Finally, the Group presents an itinerary for the dissemination and implementation of the proposed operational pathways.

Cardinal Grech further emphasizes that “the Final Reports must be understood as working documents, a starting point and not an arrival point. But, although they are working documents, they already contain valuable indications - as demonstrated by Group Reports No. 3 and n. 4— in which the local Churches and the different ecclesial realities can draw inspiration from now on. This is the spirit of synodality: a path that does not stop, in which each stage is already generative. "It is now up to the General Secretariat of the Synod, together with the competent Dicasteries, to translate what has emerged in the reports into operational proposals for the entire Church, which will be delivered to the Holy Father."

Publication mode
The Final Reports are published in English and Italian, with the indication of the original language and the working translation. Each Report is accompanied by a summary, available in several languages, for easy consultation. With the presentation of the Final Reports, the Study Groups n. 3 and n. 4 conclude their mandate and are considered dissolved.

Note from the General Secretariat
Together with the Final Report of the Study Group no. 3, the General Secretariat publishes a Note that illustrates the origin and mandate of the Study Groups, the nature of the Reports and the planned operational follow-up.

Next steps
The General Secretariat will publish the Final Reports progressively. The next publication is scheduled for March 10, 2026.

------

For both Study Groups, the coordinators or members are available to the press. To request interviews, write to media@synod.va