On May 5, 2026, the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops published the Final Report of Study Group 9, entitled “Theological Criteria and Synodal Methodologies for Shared Discernment of Emerging Doctrinal, Pastoral, and Ethical Issues,” together with two appended personal testimonies from men living in same-sex civil marriages.
The report is not magisterial teaching, but a document published under Vatican auspices, invoking the authority of synodal discernment and lived experience, is not without consequence. It deserves a careful answer.
What the Report Gets Right: Genuine Pastoral Concern for Human Dignity
Any fair critique of the Final Report of Study Group 9 should begin by acknowledging its genuine pastoral impulses. The document returns repeatedly, and sincerely, to the dignity of persons with same-sex attraction and the Church’s obligation not merely to tolerate but to genuinely accompany them.
Read more on CWR