Synod releases reports on bishops’ appointments, doctrinal issues, including testimonies of men civilly married to other men
May 06, 2026
The General Secretariat of the Synod, led by Cardinal Mario Grech, released the sixth of 15 final reports of the study groups established by Pope Francis during the synod on synodality—as well as a portion of another report.
“Theological criteria and synodal methodologies for shared discernment of emerging doctrinal, pastoral, and ethical issues” (executive summary, full text, testimonies 1, 2, 3) has the following sections:
- A paradigm shift in the Church’s mission and the synodal dynamics that promote it
- The principle of pastorality and its operational practices in a synodal Church
- Towards synodal exercise of discernment in local Churches: Two emerging issues today
The two “emerging issues,” in turn, are “experiences of people of faith with same-sex attractions” and “an experience of active non-violence.” To that end, the synod published the testimonies of two men—one Portuguese, the other American—who have contracted civil marriages with other men, as well a testimony from a peace activist in Serbia in the 1990s.
Journalist Diane Montagna reported that the American man who wrote the second testimony is one of the men blessed by Father James Martin, S.J., in a 2023 blessing photographed by The New York Times.
The General Secretariat of the Synod also released the first part of “Some aspects of the person and ministry of the Bishop (in particular: criteria for selecting candidates to the episcopacy, the judicial function of the Bishops, the nature and structure of ad limina Apostolorum visits) from a missionary synodal perspective” (executive summary, full text). The first part has ten brief sections:
- Purpose and Scope of these Proposals
- Bishops with a Synodal and Missionary Profile
- Apostolic Nuncios with a Synodal and Missionary Profile
- Discernment by the Local Church and the Bishops of the Territory
- The Moment of the Episcopal Succession
- Discernment by the Apostolic Nunciature
- Providing Differentiated Forms of Consultation
- Reviewing the Procedures of the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia
- The Moment of Accepting the Appointment
- Regular Evaluation of the Process
Pope Francis established the 15 study groups in February 2024, between the first (October 2023) and second (October 2024) sessions of the synod on synodality, to examine topics raised in the first session. The General Secretariat stated on March 3:
The Final Reports are the fruit of a structured process: the listening to diverse competencies and professional expertise, the analysis of numerous contributions, academic research, dialogue with various ecclesial bodies—from Episcopal Conferences to Catholic universities—and, above all, discernment and prayer. They are to be understood as working documents.
The synod on synodality (2021-24) is currently in an implementation phase that will culminate in an October 2028 ecclesial assembly at the Vatican.
Previous articles on the synod reports:
- Synod releases study-group reports on online engagement, revisions to priestly formation (CWN, 3/4/26)
- Synod releases study-group report on women’s participation in the Church (CWN, 3/11/26)
- Synod issues reports on polygamy, listening to the cry of the poor; LGBTQ+ community included (CWN, 3/25/26)
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