When the new head of the new Vatican department for the laity, marriage and the family says “I think bishops need to pay attention to their pastoral councils,” many Catholics might ask “What pastoral councils?” or indeed “What are pastoral councils?” Outside the United States, where Irish-born Kevin Farrell served as a bishop for 16 years, they are quite rare birds. That may say something about the need for the Prefect of the Congregation for Laity, the Family and Life to learn more about the rest of the world. But it also draws attention to a scandalous failure by many bishops in the rest of the world to implement a key reform of the Second Vatican Council.

Not only Vatican II but also the Code of Canon Law provides for each diocese to have an advisory body composed of bishops, clergy and laity, mostly the latter. Under Canon Law its job is to investigate, consider and propose practical conclusions to “things which pertain to pastoral works in the diocese”.