Chinese whispers

The Vatican survey on family life that is causing a palaver around the world has been widely reported as a global poll for all lay Catholics.  This is mistaken, the US National Catholic Register reported.  

According to the NCR, the Vatican is asking for data from bishops, not from individual lay Catholics worldwide. It is up to the relevant Bishop (or Archbishop) of a Diocese how he collects the data, if he has been so instructed.

This makes sense.  It is unrealistic to expect the Holy See to sift through and collate the extensive opinions of 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide. 

So unless you are living within a Catholic Diocese that has been specifically instructed, and unless you have heard otherwise from your parish priest, it is safe to assume that your participation in the survey is not required.  To do so, would only be a waste of time both for you and for the Holy See, and your answers may not be included in the statistical results.

For British Catholics abroad, the Catholic Church in England & Wales says in response to the frequently asked question:  "I live in another country, can I make my response using your survey?" - "Although we have already received a number of responses from around the world, we would strongly encourage those outside England and Wales not to use our survey, but to seek their own response routes at local level.  The principle of subsidiarity guides the pastoral care of marriage and family life.  We will make every effort to get responses to the relevant bishops' conference but this will make additional demands on our very limited resources." 

In other words, don't do it, kids.  If in doubt, ask your parish priest.  

Another case of the secular media misinterpreting the announcements of The Church (again).  

The Holy See's preparatory document on the Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the context of Evangelisation for the Synod of Bishops 2014 may be read in full here.  

And such confidence we have, through Christ, towards God.  Not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.  

- 2 Corinthians 3:4-5 (D-R)