General
USCCB Committee on the Laity: A Theological and Pastoral Reflection
USCCB Committee on the Laity: A Theological and Pastoral Reflection
To help understand the many suggestions received, the Committee on the Laity prepared a theological / pastoral reflection which on the survey. It gives an overview of the response and their theological significanceoffers some ideas about the theological and pastoral significance of the responses.
The sheer number of responses to the lay survey shows that the Church in the United States is very much alive and vibrant. The incredibly broad range of the responses shows that many Catholics do take great interest in the life and mission of the Church. It also shows how high are the expectations that Catholics have regarding the Church. Nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than in the resounding response to the first issue, adult faith formation and education (selected by 41,177 respondents).
A reflection on the results of the survey can be focused on three themes: Church, Liturgy and Formation of Lay Ecclesial Ministers. The vast majority of concerns expressed in the responses can be gathered under these headings. It is obvious from the responses that Catholics vary considerably in their understanding of the Church and its tradition. This points again to the issue of adult faith formation. The responses also verify the centrality of liturgy, especially the Eucharist, in the lives of Catholics. And finally the responses and the needs of Catholics for adult formation and solid liturgical experience point to further development of lay ecclesial ministries.