Implementation phases of the Final Synod Document
Image credit: Synod Va
The Synodal Process was always designed in phases, aiming to support the journey of synodality into church teaching. Phase one was the ‘Consultation of the People of God’, Phase two the ‘Discernment of the Pastors’ (which included the two Synod Assemblies 2023-2024) and finally the third phase - ‘The Implementation for a Synodal Church’.
The guiding document for phase three is the Final Document from the Second Session of the 16th Assembly (officially called ‘For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission’).
This document is beautiful and inspiring, but also can be rather technical in places. Our Synod Document resources are designed to help you explore this in more depth.
Useful Resources from the School for Synodality
All of our resources are designed to help support the synodal conversion of the Catholic Church in our day to day practice, as laid out by the Final Synod Document. You can explore all of our resources here, we suggest starting with the three below:
Implementation Phase for Synod - ‘Pathways’ Document
Image credit: Synod Va
The Pathways Document by the Synod Secretariat aims to offer local Churches throughout the world both a shared framework that will make it easier to walk together, and to promote the dialogue that will lead the whole Church to the Ecclesial Assembly in October 2028. It answers these questions:
What is the implementation phase and what are its objectives?
Who will participate in the implementation phase? What are their tasks and responsibilities?
How to engage with the Final Document during the implementation phase?
What method and tools can help shape our path during the implementation phase?
Implementation Timeline:
March 2025 - Announcement of the accompaniment and evaluation process
On 15th March 2025, Cardinal Grech, head of the Synod Secretariat, wrote to the bishops announcing the implementation phase of the Final Synod document, so that the global church could walk its synodal journey in step, sharing the learning and creativity across different contexts and communities.
To help with sharing ideas, he has announced a series of Assemblies running through 2027-28, from diocesan to national and continental, culminating with an Ecclesial Assembly in Rome autumn 2028. You can read the full letter from Cardinal Grech in March 2025 to the bishops here, and Cardinal Grech’s interview about the implementation phase with Vatican News here.
July 2025 - Publication of the Support Document for the implementation phase, with guidelines for its conduct
The Support Document is called ‘Pathways’ for short - detailed and link is on this Resource page, above.
Report of Sr. Nathalie Becquart to the Ordinary Council ‘A global overview of the implementation of synodality in local churches’ 27.06.2025 - text in English here>>.
June 2025 – December 2026 - Implementation paths in local Churches and their groupings
24-26 October 2025 - Jubilee of synodal teams and participatory bodies
First half of 2027 - Evaluation Assemblies in Dioceses and Eparchies
Second half of 2027 - Evaluation Assemblies in national and international Episcopal Conferences, Eastern hierarchical structures, and other groupings of Churches
First half of 2028 - Continental Evaluation Assemblies
June 2028 - Publication of the Instrumentum laboris for the works of the ecclesial Assembly in October 2028
October 2028 - Celebration of the ecclesial Assembly in the Vatican.