I blogged this morning about the directive of the Vatican's Synod of Bishops that bishops' conferences poll the faithful about the issues of contraception, same-sex marriage, and divorce. I noted that the U.S. Catholic bishops have an "exemption" from complying with this directive, and it's not yet certain whether the bishops will comply with the directive, or how they will poll the faithful if they choose to do so.
Meanwhile, look at how the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has already chosen to comply with this directive: Christopher Lamb reports for The Tablet. As he notes, this bishops' conference has already put a survey online.
While in the U.S., Catholics remain uncertain about whether our bishops will even give us a voice in this international Catholic survey, as the Vatican directs that they should . . . . Or, if so, how they'll choose to do so . . . .
Two different bishops' conferences, two very different ways of doing business . . . . Two very different pastoral approaches, two very different ways of understanding the role of the faithful in the church . . . .
