Women’s survey slips under the radar

The Church is “out of touch” with the reality of women’s lives, according to the responses to a Vatican questionnaire circulated by the National Board of Catholic Women (NBCW), writes Joanna Moorhead.

The survey, which seems to have gone under the radar in many countries including the United Kingdom, was put together by the Pontifical Council for the Laity in Rome and sent to the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, which passed it on the NBCW in February.

The survey included questions such as: “In what ways does the Church support women in the challenges they meet in life?”; “What value is given to women’s presence and participation in the life of the Church at all levels?”; and “In what way could the presence and contribution of women in the Church receive greater acknowledgement?”.

According to NBCW president Maureen Meatcher, there was very little time to report, and the questionnaire was forwarded to only around 200 individuals and groups, of which about 150 responded (although most of these were groups rather than individuals).

The key points made by respondents included: the Church is “out of touch” with the reality of women’s lives; women are present in every aspect of the life of the Church and especially in daily parish life; women seek respect and inclusion rather than acknowledgement from the Church; women’s financial contribution is now essential to the family income; equality between men and women is now the expected norm at home and at work, roles and responsibilities are shared, and gifts and skills matter more than gender.

Ms Meatcher said that Bishop Peter Doyle of Northampton and Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who are the Bishops’ Conference’s delegates at the Synod on the Family, attended at least two meetings with women to “test the temperature” ahead of their trip to Rome.

Pat Brown of the radical reform group, Catholic Women’s Ordination, said she knew nothing about the survey, but would have liked to have provided some input.