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| (Photo by Edgar Jimenez) |
Not only has Pope Francis raised eyebrows with his unexpected phone calls and visits, but now he is also following through with his intent to lessen the "Vatican-centric" approach that has been prevalent for so long.
Rachel Zoll of the Associated Press reports that a poll was recently distributed to "every national conference of bishops" in order to elicit vital input from "local church
leaders." Hot-button subject matter mentioned within the context of this poll includes the following:
same-sex marriages, living together out of wedlock, separated or divorced couples, remarried couples, single-parent families, the use of artificial contraception, polygamy, surrogate motherhood, and interfaith marriages.
Although the pope has "made clear his support" of traditional Roman Catholic values, he has also been urging pastors "to focus upon being merciful and welcoming rather than emphasizing only such divisive issues as abortion, gay marriage and contraception."
It will therefore be interesting to see whether any "far reaching changes" occur as a result of this pope's overall efforts at reform.
Resources
http://news.yahoo.com/vatican-polls-parishes-birth-control-marriage-002845280.html
Copyright November 2, 2013 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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