Vatican proposes involving non-Christians in diocesan assemblies

St. Peter’s Square. Photo: Exaudi News

The Vatican has instructed Catholic dioceses to involve representatives of other religions in synodal groups and local assemblies. According to the new document "Recollecting", non-Christians are to become observers in the process of a large-scale "transformation" of church governance.

The General Secretariat of the Synod has issued a 19-page instruction defining the procedure for preparation for the evaluative assemblies scheduled for the first half of 2027. The Vatican recommends that bishops invite representatives of other confessions and religions as observers both to working groups and to the assemblies themselves. The form of their participation may vary depending on local conditions and "cultural context."

The published guidelines emphasize that synodality is not merely a working method but a new "spiritual style" born of listening and dialogue. Pope Leo XIV stated that community gatherings should become "a place of conversion" rather than a simple exchange of ideas. The document actually establishes an algorithm for the ongoing transformation of the identity and way of life of Catholic structures through the introduction of synodal practices and structures.

The implementation plan for these directives is designed to run until 2028. After the completion of stages at the diocesan and continental levels, the process will be concluded by a large-scale church assembly at the Vatican in October 2028, which is intended to definitively consolidate the results of this "journey of conversion."

As the UOJ reported, Zelensky discussed the "activities of the Church in Ukraine" with a Vatican delegation.

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