Synod groups report on digital mission, formation of priests

By CathNews New Zealand

March 6th, 2026

Pope Francis and members of the Synod of Bishops on synodality offer a prayer of thanks to God after the synod's final working session on October 26, 2024, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

The final reports have been released from Synod on Synodality study groups looking at digital mission and priestly formation. Source: The Pillar.

The General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops released the reports on March 3, noting that they should be understood as working documents.

The groups that have delivered reports are two of 14 study groups. Twelve were created by Pope Francis in March 2024, months before the second session of the Synod on Synodality, which ended in October 2024. Two more groups were established by Pope Leo last year.

Study group 3, “the mission in the digital environment”, focused on the integration of digital evangelisation into the Church’s structures, territorial jurisdiction in light of online communities and the formation of priests and pastoral workers and volunteers in digital culture.

The report on “the mission in the digital environment” addresses the question of “how to live the Church’s mission within a culture increasingly shaped by the digital sphere”.

The report made 24 concrete proposals, including the establishment of a Pontifical Commission for Digital Culture and New Technologies, promotion of pastoral work in digital environments, establishing a digital mission resource hub and integrating the local Church’s digital mission with their social mission and service.

The report emphasised that these are proposals still subject to further study and discernment, not decisions already taken.

The report on the formation to the priesthood decided to elaborate a guiding document instead of revising the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis, the operative Vatican document on priestly formation, as it was considered “still valid in its fundamental principles”.

Some of the proposals made by the group are alternating seminarians between residence in the seminary and parishes or “other ecclesial contexts”, shared formative experiences with lay people, religious, and clergy from the preliminary (propadeutic) stage, and the inclusion of women at all levels of formation.

Pope Leo has asked the competent dicasteries and the General Secretariat of the Synod to draw up, on the basis of the reports, operative proposals, also giving an account of the choices made and of any elements not received, Vatican News reported.

The operative proposals thus formulated will be submitted to the Holy Father, who will evaluate and may approve them.

FULL STORY

Final reports from two synod on synodality study groups released (By Edgar Beltrán/The Pillar)

Vatican synod study group warns of online polarization (Catholic World Report)

Synod Office releases first two Final Reports of the Study Groups (Vatican News)

Vatican synod study group proposes creation of pontifical commission for new technologies (OSV News)