By Sarah Mac Donald - 01 December, 2013
Parishes across the archdiocese of Armagh will promote the participation of the faithful in the Vatican survey on the family at all Masses today.
According to Fr Gerry Campbell and Dr Tony Hanna, Co-directors of the Office of Pastoral Renewal and Family Ministry in Armagh, all 61 parishes have been sent both the official Vatican questionnaire and a simplified version in order to “elicit the response of the faithful.”
In a letter to the Irish Times on Saturday, Fr Campbell and Dr Hanna said the move was taken at the behest of Cardinal Sean Brady and Archbishop Eamon Martin.
“All parish pastoral councils have been consulted, as have all members of our diocesan pastoral council, active lay organisations, schools and commissions,” they state.
The letter continues, “We have more than 100 adult lay students taking formal and informal theology courses and these too have been asked for their responses.”
Material relating to the questionnaire is accessible online on the Armagh website and on the website of the office of pastoral renewal and family ministry. It is also available on some individual parish websites.
A deadline of 8 December has been set for completion of the surveys and the diocesan office has been tasked with submitting a report to Cardinal Brady by 20 December.
In their letter, Fr Campbell and Dr Hanna reject recent claims by Brendan Butler of We Are Church Ireland that there has been a minimalist response by the bishops to engage the faithful in a consultation on the subject of the forthcoming extraordinary Synod on Family.
“As directors of the Office of Pastoral Renewal and Family Ministry in the Archdiocese of Armagh, we wish to challenge the inaccuracy of these claims by Mr Butler,” the letter states.
