POPE GIVES MORE VOICE TO BISHOPS, CATHOLICS

Pope Francis decreed on Tuesday that ordinary Catholics should be consulted about issues facing the Catholic Church and that bishops gathering for periodic meetings can make binding decisions on church teaching.

Francis issued new rules reforming the Synod of Bishops, the consultative body established 50 years ago to give popes a way of bringing bishops together to debate problems facing the church. In the past, synods have been talkfests by churchmen who made nonbinding proposals. The new rules say the bishops’ document becomes part of his official church teaching — if the Pope approves it.

In the reform, Francis also codified a process of consulting the faithful before a synod. However, Vatican officials confirmed that while women can attend synods as experts and take the floor to speak, they can’t vote.