Pope Francis Polls Catholics - Response Is Largely Liberal

"Pope Francis raised eyebrows among church officials and lay Catholics alike this past weekend after he sent a message to American bishops asking them to make the church "more welcoming" and instructing them to uncover what American Catholics really think about same-sex marriage, divorce, and contraception.

The charge was part of an unusual effort by the Vatican to conduct a global survey of Catholic laypeople, with church leaders asking bishops to gauge opinions of parishioners on marriage equality, contraception, and divorce. The news is getting a lot of attention in progressive Catholic circles, in part because the survey—which thousands have already filled out online for their local diocese—will likely expose the growing divide between Catholic leadership and the laity on so-called "family issues," with parishioners often holding far more progressive views then their established leadership. This is especially significant given that the survey, which is being distributed to bishops in the form of a questionnaire, is meant to help prepare for next October's "extraordinary synod," a gathering of select bishops called by the pope as he seeks council on "Pastoral Challenges of the family in the context of evangelization.""* The Young Turks hosts Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian break it down.

*Read more here from Jack Jenkins / ThinkProgress:

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