The Synod’s final document has been approved and immediately enacted by Pope Francis. Unlike previous synods, there will be no post-synodal letter.
This decision clearly demonstrates the Pope’s vision of how consultation (decision-making) and actual decision-making should interact.
The process has emphasised unity and harmony, though the Pope accepts that some topics saw considerable dissent. The document challenges dissenters to respect the decision made; in this instance, appealing to a higher authority is not an option.
Controversial Paragraph 60
The paragraph on women drew the highest number of dissenting votes. Here is the text, translated from English:
“60. Through baptism, women and men share equal dignity as members of God’s people.
However, women continue to face obstacles in fully recognising their charisms, calling, and role in all aspects of Church life, hindering the Church’s shared mission. Scripture highlights the significant role of many women in salvation history.
It was to a woman, Mary Magdalene, that the Resurrection was first announced. On Pentecost, Mary, the Mother of God, was present with many other women who had followed the Lord.
It is essential that the biblical passages telling these stories receive adequate representation in the liturgical lectionaries. Major moments in Church history affirm the vital contributions of women inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Women form the majority of churchgoers and are often the first to bear witness to faith within families. They are active in small Christian communities and parishes, lead schools, hospitals, and shelters, and initiate efforts for reconciliation and social justice.
Women contribute to theological research and hold leadership roles in church institutions, diocesan offices, and even the Roman Curia. Some hold positions of authority and lead their communities.
This assembly calls for the full implementation of every opportunity already available to women under Canon Law, especially in areas where these roles have not yet been fully realised.
No reason or barrier should prevent women from taking on leadership roles within the Church: What comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped.
Furthermore, the question of women’s access to the diaconate remains open, and this discernment must continue.
The assembly also urges greater care with language and imagery in homilies, teachings, catechesis, and official Church documents, along with more space for the contributions of female saints, theologians, and mystics.”
Observations
The introduction almost feels like an apology, acknowledging that in some parts of the Church, women’s contributions are hindered rather than encouraged or appreciated.
The text reiterates familiar points: women possess equal dignity, Scripture honours prominent women, and Mary Magdalene is noted before even the Mother of Jesus. Mary Magdalene is honoured as the “apostle to the apostles”—in a sense, the first “bishop,” given that bishops are successors to the apostles.
However, the final document does not fully embrace this concept.
The document also highlights that women have historically held important roles in the Church, with many holding significant leadership positions, particularly in religious orders.
Women are often the primary witnesses to the Gospel within families.
Canon Law already envisions numerous responsibilities for women, which should be fully embraced: “No reason or barrier should prevent women from taking on leadership roles within the Church: What comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped.”
The document also states, “The question of women’s access to the diaconate remains open.”
Cardinal Víctor Miguel Fernández, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, informed the female Synod delegates that the time for this had not yet arrived.
Why did so many oppose such a well-crafted but unsurprising text?
Likely, the 97 no-votes out of 356 eligible voters reflect various perspectives.
Some oppose any change in the Church’s stance on women; presumably, these individuals also voted against involving women in priestly formation, which 40 delegates rejected.
Others felt the text did not go far enough and hoped for a stronger endorsement of women’s access to the diaconate.
Women and Ordination
At a demonstration outside the Synod, some women expressed their call not for the diaconate but for ordination to the priesthood.
To them, the idea of women serving as deacons indefinitely, while the door to priesthood remains “never ever” open, is unacceptable.
This “never ever” mirrors the resistance Peter displayed when he initially refused to eat unclean food.
The Holy Spirit needed only three dreams in Joppa and an apostolic council for Peter to change his mind.
Pope Pius IX’s “never ever” from the 1864 Syllabus of Errors endured for nearly 100 years before the Council’s decree on religious freedom. It is reasonable to wonder how long Pope John Paul II’s “never ever” from 1984 will last.
Theologically astute women, within and outside the Synod, argue that priests represent not only the Risen Christ—who transcended gender in the Resurrection—but also the Church, often described as feminine or Marian.
Shouldn’t men be able to represent the Church and women represent the Risen Christ?
Indeed, don’t all baptised individuals, both ordained and lay, “represent” both the Church and the Risen Christ through their ecclesial and sacramental actions?
The Synod has listened and emphasised that the Spirit cannot be restrained—even on the question of women.
It seems to have accelerated the countdown towards ordination.
- Paul Zulehner is professor emeritus of Pastoral Theology at the University of Vienna.
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