This information is contained in a Pastoral Letter from the New Zealand Catholic Bishops summarising the main themes that emerged in the responses received in the questionnaire on families they sent out in October last year.

Other themes to emerge were:

• The Church's definition of family implicit in the questions lacks understanding of the diverse nature of modern families.
• Sexual abuse by clergy has undermined people's faith in priests and bishops as teachers in matters of sexual morality. Many questioned the right of celibate men to "prescribe" what is right or wrong for married couples.

The Bishops say that in both online and other submissions, gratitude and appreciation were expressed for the opportunity to contribute.

The say a number of people were courageous in sharing personal stories "which were difficult and painful, or the difficulties they have with various aspects of the Church's teaching."

Others expressed their support for the teaching and wrote about how they tried to be faithful to it in their families.

"We were deeply impressed by the way in which people are striving to live according to the gospel, whatever the circumstances of their lives," they say.

The questionnaire was part of the preparation for the III Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

The Bishops have sent these findings to the Holy See, and are anxious to know if what people across the world are saying is truly being heard by those who will organise the Synod Assembly.

Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri is the Secretary-General of the Synod of Bishops, and it is his office which is responsible for analysing the submissions on the Preparatory Document.

He said in an interview that the responses show "much suffering, especially by those who feel excluded or abandoned by the Church because they find themselves in a state of life that does not correspond to the Church's doctrine and discipline".

The Synod of Bishops will take place in Rome in early October. Archbishop John Dew in his capacity as President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference will be attending.

Read the Pastoral Letter

Source

• NZCBC
• Image: 4BP.blogspot.com

The appointment of 25 curial officials to the synod on the family is a sign that Pope Francis still does not understand what real reform of the Roman Curia requires.

It makes me fear that when all is said and done, he may close or merge some offices, rearrange some responsibilities, but not really shake things up.

According to current law, moto proprio Apostolica Sollicitudo, an extraordinary synod is made up of major episcopal leaders of the Eastern Catholic churches, presidents of episcopal conferences, and three religious chosen by the Union of Superiors General.

It also states, "The cardinals who head offices of the Roman Curia will also attend."

The pope may also appoint additional bishops and clerical and lay observers.

Having curial officials as members of a synod fails to recognize that they should be staff, not policymakers.

They could attend the synod as staff but should not be voting members.

For the most part, they should be observers and not speakers.

They have all the other weeks of the year to advise the pope.

This is the time for bishops from outside of Rome to make their views known.

If Francis and the Council of Cardinals is not willing to change the makeup of the Synod of Bishops, it is hard to believe they will really fix the Roman Curia.

The American prelates at the synod will be Louisville, Ky., Archbishop Joseph Kurtz and Cardinals Timothy Dolan, Donald Wuerl, and Raymond Burke.

Kurtz is attending because he is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Dolan and Wuerl will attend as members of the council of the ordinary synod.

And Burke attends because he is prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. Continue reading

Source

• Thomas Reese in National Catholic Reporter

Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese is a senior analyst for NCR and author of Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church.