The General Secretariat of the Synod publishes the first two Final Reports of the Study Groups established by Pope Francis following 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 No. 4 on 'The revision of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis in a missionary synodal perspective.'
By Vatican News The General Secretariat of the Synod has today released the first two Final Reports of the Study Groups established by Pope Francis following the First Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The reports published were that of Study Group No. 3 on 'The Mission in the Digital Environment' and Study Group No. 4 on 'The Revision of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis in a Missionary Synodal Perspective.' Pope Leo XIV has directed the publication of these Final Reports to share with the entire People of God the fruits of the reflection and discernment undertaken during the Synod, in a spirit of transparency and accountability. The Final Reports are published in English and Italian, with an indication of the original language and the working translation. A summary, available in various languages, accompanies each Report to facilitate access.With the presentation of their Final Reports, Study Groups No. 3 and No. 4 conclude their mandate and are therefore to be considered dissolved. The General Secretariat will continue to release the Final Reports progressively, with the next publication scheduled for 10 March 2026. Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod, said that the Reports, “beyond the value of their content," "testify to the shared journey undertaken with the Dicasteries. "It is not the first time that the Dicasteries have collaborated on a common project, but here," he added, "there is something more: an authentic exercise of shared listening, reflection, and discernment. It is synodality put into practice, not merely bureaucratic cooperation.” The Mission in the Digital Environment The Report of Study Group No. 3 addresses a central question that emerged during the XVI Assembly, namely how to live the Church’s mission within a culture increasingly shaped by the digital sphere. The Group, drawing on a broad consultation involving pastoral workers, experts, and ecclesial realities from all continents, gathered experiences, analyzed challenges, and formulated concrete recommendations. Key themes include the need to integrate digital mission into the Church’s ordinary structures, an in-depth analysis of territorial jurisdiction in light of online communities, and the formation of pastors and pastoral workers in digital culture. The Report concludes with a series of operative proposals articulated at three levels: the Holy See, Episcopal Conferences, and dioceses. It also includes an extensive section on the methodology adopted and the entities consulted. Formation to the Priesthood Rather than proceeding with a revision of the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis (2016), which is still considered valid in its fundamental principles, Study Group No. 4 opted to elaborate a Proposal for a Guiding Document for its implementation in a missionary synodal key, in line with the Final Document of the XVI Assembly. The document is structured in two parts. The Preamble offers an ecclesiological-pastoral framework and identifies a series of necessary conversions in priestly formation: relational, missionary, toward communion, toward service, and toward a synodal style. At its heart lies a central insight: the identity of the priest is formed “in and from” the People of God, not in separation from it. The Guidelines in the second part translate these conversions into concrete operative pathways. Some of the most significant proposals include alternating residence between the seminary and parish communities or other ecclesial contexts; shared formative experiences and moments with lay faithful, consecrated persons, and ordained ministers, starting from the propaedeutic stage; the inclusion of qualified and competent women as co-responsible at all levels of formation, including within formation teams; and the acquisition of skills for co-responsibility and communal discernment. The Group also proposed a pathway for the dissemination and implementation of the operative directions offered. Nature and publication of the Final Reports Along with the Final Report of Study Group No. 3, the General Secretariat also published a Note outlining the origin and mandate of the Study Groups, the nature of the Reports, and the envisaged operational follow-up. In the note, it highlights that 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. Pope Leo XIV, has directed that the Final Reports be published progressively, as they are presented to the General Secretariat of the Synod, in a spirit of transparency. In order that the content that has emerged may be translated into concrete orientations, decisions and processes, the Holy Father has requested the competent Dicasteries and the General Secretariat of the Synod to draw up, on the basis of the Final Reports, operative proposals, also giving an account of the choices made and of any elements not received. This joint effort, the General Secretariat's note continues, ensures coherence with the synodal dynamism and rootedness in the Church’s missionary perspective. The operative proposals thus formulated will be submitted to the Holy Father, who will evaluate and may approve them. With the submission of the Final Report to the General Secretariat of the Synod, the Study Groups that have delivered it conclude the mandate entrusted to them and are therefore to be considered dissolved.