Synod Office Releases First Two Final Reports of the Study Groups

File photo of the Synod on Synodality (ANSA)

The General Secretariat of the Synod publishes the first two Final Reports of the Study Groups established by His Holiness 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 His Holiness 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…

This report was originally published on the Website of Vatican News. Please click here to read the full text.