Vatican questions before family synod called self-defeating

Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015

An international Catholic reform network has denounced as self-defeating the official Vatican set of questions before October’s synod on the family.

Catholic Church Reform International has created its own alternative 20-question survey which is open to Catholics worldwide.

The reform network is made up of representatives of more than 100 groups in 65 countries.

At the extraordinary synod last October, bishops created a working document (lineamenta) that included 46 questions on a range of topics, including marriage and sexuality.

In compiling their own reports on those topics, bishops were asked to consult with clergy, laity and relevant institutions.

Part of the reason for the alternative synod survey, the reform group said, is a “deep concern over deficiencies” in the lineamenta questionnaire, which they called “self-defeating”.

The group said the latest survey – whether intentionally or not – “seems designed to thwart” an open flow of feedback from everyday families.

“The questionnaire is far too complex and, with its abstract language and juridical views of marriage, it is largely incomprehensible to even the most well educated Catholics. It will not gather the much-need input from Catholic families themselves,” they said in an open letter to Pope Francis last month.

The reform group acknowledged progress at the extraordinary synod and its preceding questionnaire.

The reform group’s alternative survey closes on March 9, but could be extended if demand is high enough.

The survey asks respondents to rank on a five-point scale the Church’s effectiveness on a range of issues including the pastoral care of co-habiting couples, interreligious families, LGBT persons and their families, single-parent families, and couples using contraceptives.

Other questions ask how the Church fares in reaching out to Catholics who have left the Church, and how family relationships can be strengthened.

A report will be sent to the Vatican summarising the responses.

This report will be published on the reform group’s website.

Sources