News reports this morning are that Cardinal Vincent Nichols has released a report on responses to the survey conducted early this year, in preparation for the Family Synod 2015, on English views on marriage, family and the Catholic Church. I’ve not yet found a link to the full report, but the reports I’ve seen are worth noting.
Extracts from the Telegraph:
The Roman Catholic Church is bigoted, misogynistic, controlling, judgmental, outdated and pharisaical – in the view of some its own most devoted members, according to an unprecedented official snapshot of opinion in the pews revealed by Britain’s most senior Catholic cleric.
Cardinal Nichols said it was vital to be open about the nature some of the comments, which he said showed the Church as a “lively, passionate family” which has its arguments rather than simply a “PR exercise”.
Members of the Catholic Church in England and Wales have issued a strong critique of the Church’s teaching on marriage and families.The document describes the Church as “out of touch, unbending”, and “unrealistic” while offering a “lack of support for same-sex partnerships and contraception”.
The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Nichols, said a key response is a renewed focus on personal relationship to Jesus following the example set by the Pope.