Vatican seeks input from Catholics worldwide ahead of 2015 synod

Wants feedback from faithful at 'all levels' on how to respond to difficult issues such as divorce and remarriage.

File photo.

Vatican City:  For the second time in two years, the Vatican has asked national bishops' conferences around the world to seek input from Catholics at "all levels" about how the church should respond to sometimes difficult questions of modern family life, such as divorce and remarriage.

Issuing a document in preparation for a second worldwide meeting of Catholic bishops on family life next year, the Vatican has also stressed the need for mercy in responding to such difficult situations — even asking the bishops to avoid basing their pastoral care solely on current Catholic doctrine.

The call for input came Tuesday in a document released by the Vatican's Office for the Synod of Bishops, which in October 2015 will host the second of two global bishops' meetings called by Pope Francis for 2014 and 2015.

The document is partly a summary of the last meeting in October and partly a series of 46 questions meant to help prepare for the next synod. The Vatican synod office is sending the document in coming days to bishops' conferences around the world.

In its preface, Tuesday's document states that the questions are aimed "an in-depth examination of the work initiated" at the last synod.

"The proposed questions which follow ... are intended to assist the bishops' conferences in their reflection and to avoid, in their responses, a formulation of pastoral care based simply on an application of doctrine, which would not respect the conclusions of the Extraordinary Synodal Assembly and would lead their reflection far from the path already indicated," the document states.

Source: National Catholic Reporter