Synod Study Groups Release Reports on Bishop Selection, Emerging Ethical and Pastoral Questions

Vatican, May 7, 2026: As the Catholic Church continues its journey of synodality, two newly released reports from Synod study groups have placed discernment, listening and shared responsibility at the centre of episcopal appointments and the Church’s response to emerging doctrinal, pastoral and ethical questions.

The General Secretariat of the Synod on May 5 published the first part of the Final Report of Study Group No. 7 on aspects of the person and ministry of the bishop, along with the Final Report of Study Group No. 9 on theological criteria and synodal methodologies for addressing emerging doctrinal, pastoral and ethical questions.

The first report focuses on the criteria for selecting candidates to the episcopacy from a missionary synodal perspective, while the second explores methods for shared discernment on emerging issues in the life of the Church.

Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod, said the two reports touch “the very heart of ecclesial life.” He noted that the selection of a bishop is “a moment of authentic discernment for the Christian community,” while the second report offers tools for addressing difficult questions through listening, engagement with reality, and bringing together different forms of knowledge.

The First Part of the Final Report of Study Group No. 7 presents the selection of bishops as a process of ecclesial discernment guided by the Holy Spirit in a climate of prayer and listening. The report highlights the role of the local Church, the diocesan bishop, bishops of the ecclesiastical province or episcopal conference, and the Apostolic Nuncio in the process.

The document proposes that dioceses periodically begin processes of discernment regarding their own situations and needs. As episcopal succession approaches, the bishop is to convene the Presbyteral Council and the Diocesan Pastoral Council so members can express opinions on the needs of the diocese and submit, in a sealed envelope, the names of priests they consider suitable for the episcopate.

The consultation process, where possible, is also to include the Cathedral Chapter, the Finance Council, the Lay Council, and representatives of consecrated persons, young people and the poor.

Among the qualities expected of candidates, the report highlights “synodal competencies,” including the ability to build communion, practise dialogue, possess a profound knowledge of local cultures, and integrate into them constructively. The report also calls on Dicasteries of the Roman Curia to review procedures in a more synodal direction and proposes periodic independent evaluations of selection processes.

The group continues to reflect on other themes entrusted to it, including the judicial function of bishops, ad limina Apostolorum visits, and the formation of bishops.

Meanwhile, the Final Report of Study Group No. 9 proposes a new approach to addressing difficult doctrinal, pastoral and ethical questions. Drawing inspiration from chapters 10-15 of the Acts of the Apostles, the report states that cultural diversity can be valued without betraying the newness of the Gospel.

The group chose to use the term “emerging” rather than “controversial” questions, explaining that the goal is not only to resolve problems but also to build the common good through relational conversion, shared learning and transparency.

The report introduces the “principle of pastorality,” stating that there can be no proclamation of the Gospel without taking responsibility for the interlocutor, in whom the Spirit is already at work.

To address emerging questions, the report proposes three methodological steps: listening to ourselves, paying attention to reality, and summoning various forms of expertise. It states that Conversation in the Spirit remains the preferred instrument for developing a synodal ecclesial culture.

In its third section, the report applies this method to two emerging issues in the life of local Churches: the experience of homosexual persons who are believers, and the experience of active non-violence witnessed by a movement of Serbian youth that contributed to the peaceful fall of Slobodan Milošević, inspired by early Christians.

The report does not offer definitive pronouncements on these matters. Instead, based on direct listening to concrete testimonies, it proposes paths for ethical-theological discernment and raises open questions so that communities may recognise and promote the good “through which God acts in history and in people’s experience.”

By Catholic Connect Reporter