Synod ‘Questionnaire’ Not Designed for Laity (Catholic Caucus)

NC Register ^ | December 29, 2014 | PATRICK KENNY

[NYer]

If media headlines are to be believed, 2014 was the year in which Catholics, having been “consulted” about their adherence to Catholic teaching, firmly rejected traditional doctrine on sexual morality. “Poll: Catholic Beliefs at Odds With Vatican Doctrine” ran one headline. “German, Swiss Catholics Reject Many Church Teachings on Family,” claimed another. The supposedly official “survey” in question was described by some bishops as an “unprecedented questionnaire” and even as an “opinion poll,” creating the unfortunate perception that the Vatican was “polling” members of the Church on future pastoral priorities and perhaps even on doctrine itself.

The remarkable thing about all of this is that there never was an “official Vatican survey” to begin with.

The first discussion document for the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family this past October contained a number of technical discussion questions that were really not designed for laypeople. Consider the following typical question: “How is the theory and practice of natural law in the union between man and woman challenged in light of the formation of a family? How is it proposed and developed in civil and Church institutions?” It strains definitions to the breaking point to describe a list of three dozen questions of this nature as a “poll” of laypeople.

The idea of surveying laypeople seems to have arisen from a letter by Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of the synod, asking that the entire document be distributed to deaneries and parishes so that feedback could be gathered from local sources. Somehow or other, this normal consultation process transformed into a rather haphazard series of diocesan “opinion polls” accompanied by potentially unreliable statistical analysis.

[NYer]

The first flaw has already been noted — the questions themselves were not designed for ordinary laypeople. This problem was recognized by some dioceses. For example, the Archdiocese of Louisville, Ky., adapted their online survey, presenting laypeople only with questions that were within their competence to answer. But how many dioceses or parishes around the world actually took this sensible step? The answer, of course, is that we don’t know, and it is almost impossible to find out. So when we talk about a “Vatican survey,” we are potentially talking about hundreds of different consultation processes that may or may not be comparable to each other.

Excellent point!

These questionnaires were also distributed to the Eastern Catholic Churches. Our pastor submitted them to us with a turnaround deadline for submitting our responses to the bishop.

On reviewing the questionnaire, I approached the pastor and suggested the majority of questions could only be answered by him. They dealt with issues that only he was privy to on the parish level. As such, I never submitted any response. The wording did not ask for opinions but facts to which I had no access.

Ping!

[Salvation]

Finally the truth comes out.

[Hieronymus]

I was appalled by the questionnaire—I agree that most of the questions were beyond many people. While I could have answered the questions, we only had a week to turn the thing around, and I couldn’t drop everything to answer the questions—I have five kids and a job. There was the illusion of consultation, but unless one had been tipped off a few weeks ahead of time, one didn’t really have a chance for input, and if select people were tipped off then it wasn’t consulting the laity at large but a pre-selected group. The whole process smelled.

[Heart-Rest]

There are so many individuals and groups, both inside and outside the Church, and including high-level Catholic clerics, who right now are pushing to change "unchangeable" Church teachings.    I do not believe it is possible for them to actually succeed in effecting those kinds of changes, because if they were somehow able to do that for even one single Church teaching involving "faith and morals", we would no longer be able to credibly affirm that the Catholic Church is the unchangeable Church founded by Jesus Christ.

(Of course, this is not referring to the natural development in the understanding of existing official doctrines, or the enhancement of the clarity of existing doctrines, or the streamlining optimization of existing Church procedures, but is referring to the actual changing of a doctrine to make it contrary or contradictory to the original teaching of that same doctrine.)

These are very trying times for faithful Catholics.    I recently came across the following graphic which seems to apply to some of the nonsense we are witnessing today in these Synods, and in other public Church forums and internal written arguments.

We need prayer and God's help.

[Grateful2God]

I feel like a complete fool, but this is the first I’ve heard of this. Was it only in certain dioceses? No one I know ever mentioned anything, either. I’m sorry if I missed something in the article, it’s just taking me aback...

[NYer]

I feel like a complete fool, but this is the first I’ve heard of this.

Each diocese was asked to distribute a questionnaire to parishioners earlier this year. Did you not received one? Some dioceses rephrased it into a simplified format. See this link for more detailed information.

[Grateful2God]

Thank you for your reply and link!
God bless you!

[defconw]

I am in an outpost parish we don’t have a regular pastor. We did not get the thing either. Also I think it’s stupid to ask the laity anything. Most are not qualified to weigh in on anything. The faith is the faith.

[Grateful2God]

I am in an outpost parish we don’t have a regular pastor. We did not get the thing either. Also I think it’s stupid to ask the laity anything. Most are not qualified to weigh in on anything. The faith is the faith.

I don't know about it, but I don't remember us being a democracy. Maybe they're just trying to get a feel for who's following and who isn't. Either way, I didn't get one...

[defconw]

It has been my experience that the ones that make the biggest stink about something are the least likely to show up at Mass or anything else for that matter. There are lots of other faiths that will accommodate them.