VATICAN CITY - Declaring that "today is a time of mercy,” the Synod of the Bishops has come to an end with an ambiguous document that has raised hoped of both conservatives and liberals alike. Pope Francis has said nevertheless that he is confident that this month’s synod on the family, which ended over the weekend will generate long-term benefits for the Roman Catholic Church. 

  Without changing church doctrine, the 275 members of the Synod approved a 94-point final document on responding better to the needs of Catholic families in today’s society, including migration, poverty, single parents and polygamy.

    The Synod also appeared to give some leniency to divorced Catholics who have remarried in civil courts to return to the Church and possibly even take communion, saying clergyman should decide on a case-by-case basis. This was interpreted by some observers in the Italian press as a clear victory for the pontiff, who has been pushing for the Church to become more open to change and rid itself of the pomp and circumstance associated with the Catholic Church since his election in 2013, and other more progressive members of the Church. 

  Conservatives had objected, citing church doctrine, but they couldn't gather the votes needed to prevent the passing of the final document. The conservative group, Voice of the Family, has been reported as saying that the Synod has resulted in "a crisis of trust" between the faithful and Church leaders regarding this issue, which it said would lead to "the scandalising of the faithful, not least our children and grandchildren."

    However, the meeting and final document did not lead to any changes on whether the Church should be more welcoming to gays, avoiding the issue of whether the Church should use more welcoming language towards homosexuals. It was agreed that homosexuals should not be discriminated against but said there were "absolutely no grounds" for gay marriage.

  After the closing of the Synod on Sunday, the pontiff appeared to criticise the more Conservative bishops, saying that the church should confront difficult issues “fearlessly, without burying our heads in the sand.”

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