Dear Editor, The current Vatican survey on the attitude of the People of God to how the Church’s teaching on controversial issues around human sexuality is welcome. There are precious few opportunities within the Church for laypeople, priests and religious to offer their input. I suspect at a higher level, bishops and religious superiors also feel that they lack a space to offer input into how the Church should communicate its message.
It will come as no surprise to anyone that many (most?) Irish Catholics reject the Church’s teaching about contraception, pre-marital sex and a host of other issues relating to human sexuality. Does that make the Church’s teaching wrong? Despite the constant appeal to conscience of many of those in the Church who reject the Church’s teaching, I suspect very few people have actually wrestled with these issues in a conscientious way. I remember well over 20 years having a discussion with friends – a married couple – who both spoke candidly about how they had decided that the Church’s ban on artificial birth control was wrong. Had they read Humanae Vitae, I asked, or any other Church document on the matter? The rather embarrassed response was ‘no’.
Isn’t it the truth, whether the Church is right or wrong, that most people reject the teachings don’t suit them rather than conscientiously struggling?
Yours etc.,
Mary Barry,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.