The Vatican has launched a worldwide
survey to find out what Catholics really think
about its teaching on marriage and family
life.
Pope Francis is calling bishops to Rome next
October to discuss possible reform that
considers modern social realities.
The questionnaire asks for local views on
premarital cohabitation, birth control and
gay marriage.
Correspondents say it shows a greater
interest in issues previously considered
taboo.
"The social and spiritual crisis, so evident in
today's world, is becoming a pastoral
challenge in the Church's evangelising
mission concerning the family," the Vatican
survey says.
Among the "many new situations requiring
the Church's attention and pastoral care", it
lists single-parent families, inter-religious
unions and divorce.
Under pressure
The BBC's David Willey in Rome says says
Pope Francis is under pressure from
Catholics in many countries to take a fresh
look at the Church's ban on contraception
and its refusal to allow divorced and
remarried Catholics to take Communion.
There appears to be a division of opinion on
this between the Pope, who has more
progressive ideas, and some of his top
advisers, our correspondent adds.
The consultation is part of the preparation
for the extraordinary meeting of the Synod
of Bishops next year, which will focus on the
subject of family.
"Concerns which were unheard of until a
few years ago have arisen today as a result
of different situations, from the widespread
practice of cohabitation... to same-sex
unions," the questionnaire says.
Pope Francis has signalled greater
openness, and has said the Catholic Church
is too tied up in "small-minded rules".
In an interview in September, he said the
Church was too focused on preaching about
abortion, gay people and contraception and
needed to become more merciful.
Francis earlier created headlines by saying it
was not up to him to judge about the sexual
orientation of clergy as long as they were
searching for God and had goodwill.

doesnt this story support what atheists say, That religion is man made? If the church goes on ahead with the survey and eventually changes are made in favour of the progressives, then surely we cannot trust religion anymore. It would mean that all they have been teaching people is actually what they want people to believe and not what came from God, if it actually came from God in the first place.

souldust: doesnt this story support what atheists say, That religion is man made? If the church goes on ahead with the survey and eventually changes are made in favour of the progressives, then surely we cannot trust religion anymore. It would mean that all they have been teaching people is actually what they want people to believe and not what came from God, if it actually came from God in the first place.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

We have a winner!!!