The Synod also called for a revision of the Code of Canon Law of 1917 in an attempt to make it more pastoral and more contemporary in tone and emphasis. The work was subsequently begun by Pope Paul VI and brought to completion under Pope John Paul II with the promulgation in 1983 of the Revised Code of Canon Law.

Other pastoral questions were discussed and submitted to the Pope as recommendations: the episcopal conferences should have major control over seminaries in their respective areas; procedures relating to mixed marriages were recommended and approved by the Pope in 1970; and approval was given for the New Order of the Mass which was put into effect in 1969.

The main emphasis of these sessions involved two basic points:

1) the collegiality of the bishops with the Pope, and
2) the relation of episcopal conferences to the Pope and to individual bishops.

Various recommendations were subsequently submitted to the Pope, three of which received immediate attention:

1) that the Synod meet at regular intervals - every two years (subsequently changed to 'every three years');
2) that the General Secretariat organise and operate between synodal sessions; and
3) that the bishops be permitted to suggest topics for the future assemblies.

In the course of their discussion the bishops praised priests world-wide for their dedication in their ministry to Word and Sacrament as well as their pastoral work in the apostolate. At the same time, attention was given to various difficulties experienced by priests in the ministry.

In addition, the bishops treated the subject of justice, stating the need to relate the Gospel to existing world-wide and local circumstances. In response they outlined an eight-point programme for international action, and made recommendations that the Church on the local level foster education and ecumenical collaboration in the field of justice.

At this assembly the bishops re-emphasised the essential missionary character of the Church and the duty of each member to bear witness to Christ in the world. In a related way the subject of liberation was treated, being linked to the work of evangelisation which seeks to free a person from sin. The bishops' recommendations and proposals submitted to the Pope were used in the formulation of the Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Nuntiandi.

The discussion of the bishops which gave special attention to the catechesis of children and young people resulted in a series of 34 proposals or "Propositions" and over 900 suggestions regarding the subject. Six general areas were treated in these recommendations: the importance of catechetical renewal, the nature of true catechesis, the persons involved in catechesis, the ongoing need of catechesis for all Christians, the means or channels of catechesis and the special aspects affecting catechesis.

On this occasion the bishops issued for the first time a synodal statement entitles "The Message to the People of God". In this message the bishops pointed out that Christ is the centre of salvation and, therefore, catechesis. At the same time they emphasised that all Christians have the responsibility or bringing Christ to the world.

Shortly after the conclusion of this Synod, Pope John Paul II issued the Apostolic Exhortation, Catechesi Tradendae, which utilised a great many of the bishops' insights and proposals.

The Particular Synod for Holland, or the so-called "Dutch Synod", held in Rome, treated the Vatican II concept of mystery of Church communion and its practical implications, both local and universal, centring on the figure of the bishop as teacher of the faith and pastor of souls, both in his diocese and in the episcopal conference. At its conclusion, the assembly adopted resolutions pertaining to the ministerial priesthood, religious life, the participation of the laity in the mission of the Church, the sacraments, the Eucharist and Confession, liturgy, catechesis and ecumenism, all based on the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. A specially formed Synod Council instituted at the end of this particular Synod periodically meets with the General Secretariat to continue to assess the pastoral situation and to promote the implementation of the Synod resolutions.

A reaffirmation of the Church's teaching on the indissolubility of marriage and the contents of the encyclical Humanae Vitae was central to the work of this Synod. In the course of their work, the bishops produced a written message entitled "A Message to Christian Families in the modern world", and proposed a "Charter for the Rights of the Family" which Pope John Paul II subsequently acted upon in 1983. From the discussion and proposals of the assembly, the Pope issued the Apostolic Exhortation, Familiaris Consortio.

The assembly and theme coincided with the "extraordinary" Holy Year proclaimed by the Holy Father to commemorate the 1950^th year of the Redemption of the World through the Death of Christ. At this time the bishops discussed related matters, emphasising the need of applying the fruits of Christ's redemption to a person's life and, as a result, to the society. In a statement issued by the assembly, the bishops called the world to "reconciliation" and proclaimed "the Church as a Sacrament of reconciliation and a sign of the mercy of God toward the sinner". The bishops' work during the Synod served as the basis for the Apostolic Exhortation, Reconciliatio et Paenitentia, which for the first time was designated as a "Post Synodal" document.

Specially convened by Pope John Paul II, the purpose of this assembly was to commemorate the Council's event and to assess the state of Church renewal. According to statute the Synod brought together all the presidents of the over 100 episcopal conferences world-wide and various other persons. The discussions centred on the documents of the Second Vatican Council and their implementation in the Church around the world. At this session, the bishops produced a final report (Relatio Finalis), issued at the closing session, along with a "Message to the People of God".

Through a consideration of the concepts of vocation ("being") and mission ("doing") in the Second Vatican Council's context of Church communion, the bishops sought to emphasise the distinctive nature of the lay faithful in the Church's life (Communion in holiness) and her work of evangelisation in the world (secular character). Because of the topic this Synod witnessed a significant presence of lay persons as auditors; lay persons were called upon to address the general assembly and share insights in the small groups, and for the first time, a lay woman and man were appointed as adjunct special secretaries. The work of the bishops during this session, particularly the 54 propositions, were used in the formulation of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Christifideles Laici.

Taking into consideration the work of the Second Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod (1971) which gave a theological treatment of the priesthood and its implications in the priestly ministry, this Synod was more pastoral in tone, centring upon priestly formation and the "person" of the priest himself - both religious and diocesan - before and after ordination. Notable in the sessions was the general accord of the bishops in their discussion and treatment of the subject. At the Synod?s conclusion, the bishops offered 41 propositions to the Holy Father which were used, along with other information resulting from the Synod process, in the preparation of the Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation entitledPastores dabo vobis.

On 22 April 1990 during an Apostolic visit to Velehrad, Czechoslovakia, the site of the tomb of St. Methodius, co-patron of Europe with Ss. Cyril and Benedict, the Holy Father announced his desire to convoke a Special Assembly for Europe of the Synod of Bishops so as to discern the "kairos" of the situation created by the great changes taking place in Europe and to consider the role of the Church in the efforts on the continent towards renewal and reconstruction. The special nature of the synod and its brief preparation period required various modifications to Synod statutes, for example, instead of the Lineamenta and Instrumentum laboris documents, a brief guide to reflection (Itinerarium) and a synopsis (Summarium) were prepared; special criteria were devised for episcopal delegates so as also to give substantial representation bishops from Central and Eastern Europe, etc. One of the noteworthy events in the preparation was a pre-synodal symposium sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture which gathered intellectuals from both eastern and western Europe in a common reflection on the synod theme. Likewise, representatives from the Orthodox Church and major Christian communities in Europe were invited in a spirit of ecumenism to participate for the first time in a synodal assembly as "fraternal delegates". The work of the Special Assembly culminated in the publication of a Declaration, in which the Synod Fathers outlined a programme for the new evangelisation of Europe and made an appeal for universal solidarity among all European citizens. Subsequently, a group of members from the special assembly was appointed to devise ways of implementing the conclusions of the Declaration through a strengthening of the Concilium Conferentiarum Episcopalum Europee (CCEE) in light of the present circumstances.

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