Pope Francis presided over the closing Mass at the end of the Synod of Bishops at Saint Peter's Basilica in The Vatican on Sunday, as reported by REUTERS.

AFP also covered the event, noting the attendance of cardinals at the mass concluding the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops at St Peter's Basilica in The Vatican on Sunday.

A significant Vatican summit of global Catholic leaders concluded on Saturday, advocating for increased leadership roles for women within the Church but refraining from calling for women's ordination as clergy. The gathering, which included cardinals, bishops, and laypeople from over 110 countries, did not address the inclusion of the LGBTQ community, despite discussions suggesting a more welcoming stance might be considered.

Pope Francis convened the month-long summit, known as a Synod of Bishops, to contemplate the future of the worldwide Church. This was the second of two consecutive gatherings, featuring closed-door discussions among 368 voting members, including nearly 60 women. Proponents for expanded roles for women in the Church had hoped the synod might advocate for women to serve as deacons. However, the final text of the synod did not advance this possibility, stating only that 'there is no reason or impediment that should prevent women from carrying out leadership roles in the Church'.

The issue of women deacons 'remains open' and 'discernment needs to continue', according to the document. The Catholic Church maintains an all-male clergy, and Pope John Paul II declared it had no authority to ordain women as priests. However, church historians note that there is evidence suggesting women served as deacons in earlier centuries—ordained ministers who, unlike priests, cannot celebrate the Mass.

Francis, 87, has previously established two Vatican commissions to explore the ordination of women as deacons. This issue, along with nine others, was assigned for further study by the synod, with groups expected to report back to Francis by June next year. The synod's final document, a 52-page text approved by the assembly late Saturday afternoon, also called for greater input from lay Catholics in the selection of bishops and issued multiple apologies for the 'untold and ongoing' pain endured by Catholics who were abused by clergy.

Each of the text's 155 paragraphs required a two-thirds vote for approval. The paragraph on women deacons received the most no votes, 258-97, but still passed. The text did not explicitly mention the LGBTQ community, though it included a veiled reference to individuals in the Church who 'experience the pain of feeling excluded or judged because of their marital situation, identity, or sexuality'.

The treatment of LGBTQ Catholics was a contentious issue during the 2023 synod, with reports of emotional personal testimonies from some members about family members feeling excluded from the Church. Rev. James Martin, a prominent American Jesuit priest who ministers to the LGBTQ community and was a synod member, noted that it was 'not a surprise' the new text did not specifically address the group. 'We talk about the pain of those who feel excluded,' he said of the final text, adding that 'the dialogue around LGBTQ issues was much easier this year'.

Pope Francis had been expected to release his own document in response to the synod text, but he informed the assembly that he no longer plans to do so. Instead, the pope intends to present the synod's text as a 'gift' to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.

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