Episcopalis communio

(Episcopal Communion) is an apostolic constitution promulgated by Pope Francis on September 15, 2018. It takes note of the various organizations used during the previous Synod of Bishops, and defines that its final document "participates in the ordinary magisterium." Background and publication is presented as the logical implementation of the apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium, Francis' programmatic letter for his pontificate, where Francis expressed his intention "to profoundly reshape all the ecclesial structures, so that they become more missionary". The synod of bishops must be a means of collegiality and "always become more and more an adequate channel for the evangelization of the present world more than for self-preservation." Francis had previously held synods on the family (2014, 2015) and on youth (2018), and promulgated after the regional synod on the Pan-Amazon region (2019). Some analysts surmise that the greatest achievement of Francis' papacy may be his creation of a more synodal Catholic church, where synods serve as a platform for open and energetic debate.