Few lay Catholics have participated in the local Synod meetings leading up to the worldwide Synod on Synodality, The Pillar reports.

Although statistics on attendance at diocesan synods are not generally available, the Pillar survey found that the participants rarely represented more than 1% of the Catholics registered in the diocese.

In the US, Pillar found participation figures that ranged from a high of almost 5% of the Catholics in the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, to barely over one-quarter of 1% in the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas.

In other countries, Belgium boasted 15% participation among the Catholics who attend Mass regularly, but about one-half of 1% of all Catholics. In France, 3% of the active Catholics took part, but only about 0.5% of the overall total. Similarly in England and Wales, 8% of active Catholics participated, but less than 1% overall. The lack of participation by inactive Catholics is significant because Pope Francis had urged diocese to encourage their involvement.

In the Czech Republic, 2% of all Catholics reported participated. In Poland, Switzerland, and Australia, the figure was well under 1%.