Synod Commission Proposes Canon Law Changes to Expand Lay Participation and Church Accountability

Synod Commission Proposes Changes to Canon Law A Canonical Commission established in connection with the Synod on Synodality has proposed a series of changes to the Latin Church’s Code of Canon Law, seeking to translate the Synod’s emphasis on communion, participation and mission into practical legal structures. The proposals follow the work of the 2023 and 2024 General Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops and focus particularly on greater participation of lay faithful, stronger consultative and participatory bodies, and increased accountability within the Church. The document is currently a working document containing proposals. It does not itself amend the existing Code of Canon Law. Greater Role for Lay Faithful One of the central areas of the proposed reforms is the participation of lay men and women in the Church’s governance, ministries and judicial processes. The commission proposes that Church authorities should provide sufficient information and time when seeking the advice or consent of participatory bodies. Pastors would also have an explicit responsibility to listen to the faithful through methods of communal discernment. The proposals further seek to encourage the appointment of qualified lay faithful to suitable ecclesiastical offices and responsibilities according to pastoral needs and their gifts. Lay Participation in Church Tribunals The proposed changes would also expand the role of laypersons in Church judicial structures. Diocesan bishops would be able to appoint both clerics and laypersons as diocesan judges without requiring prior permission from an episcopal conference. In certain circumstances, a single cleric or layperson could also serve as a judge in a first-instance case when a three-judge tribunal cannot be formed. New Opportunities in Church Leadership and Ministry Another proposal would allow diocesan bishops to appoint suitable laypersons as episcopal delegates with delegated authority over specific pastoral areas, matters or groups. The commission also proposes formally including the ministry of catechist among the stable ministries conferred through a liturgical rite, alongside lector and acolyte. Laypersons would also receive greater recognition for assisting at marriages when pastoral circumstances require it. The proposed changes would replace the current requirement for permission from the Holy See in such cases with consultation of the presbyteral council. Changes to Episcopal Conferences and Councils The proposals also address particular councils and episcopal conferences. A provincial council would be required to take place at least once every ten years. The proposed changes would also expand opportunities for laypersons and priests to participate in particular councils. The commission has further proposed changes to the review of decrees from particular councils by the Apostolic See, including provisions concerning a one-year period for review. Stronger Pastoral Participation At the diocesan and parish levels, the proposals seek to make participatory structures more regular and effective. A diocesan synod would be required at least once every ten years. Parish pastoral councils would become mandatory, while diocesan pastoral councils would also be required in every diocese and would meet at least three times a year. The proposals would additionally require lay members selected through pastoral councils to constitute a majority of members in a diocesan synod. Greater Financial Transparency Financial accountability is another major part of the proposed changes. Diocesan and parish finance councils would be expected to publish annual financial reports, with independent certification where possible. Bishops would also establish norms for accountability and evaluation within their dioceses. The proposals would require bishops to share a summary of their five-year reports on the state of their dioceses with the faithful through the presbyteral and pastoral councils before submitting the report to the Holy See. A Short-Term Step Toward Broader Reform The Canonical Commission describes the proposed amendments as a short- to medium-term response to the Synod on Synodality. The Vatican has indicated that broader, long-term work could eventually involve a comprehensive revision of the Latin and Eastern Codes of Canon Law. For now, the proposed changes remain subject to further consideration and do not alter the Church’s current canon law. Their stated purpose is to provide a legal framework for greater co-responsibility, lay participation, communal discernment and accountability in the life of the Church.