The Church in Malta has published a summary of the results of a questionnaire sent to households earlier this year  in preparation for the October 2014 Extraordinary Synod. Just over 7,000 questionnaires were filled and returned – with a slight bias in favour of older persons.

The summary is based on a sub-sample of 1,590 respondents, because of time constrains, the Curia said.

The majority of the respondents (72.5%) stated that they were not very familiar with the teaching on the family in the Bible and by the Church,while 17.4% have substantial knowledge of this teaching.

In 69.7% of cases, the Church’s teaching on family life is selectively accepted. The teaching that marriage is a sacrament implying fidelity, exclusivity and indissolubility is accepted but 18.8% find it difficult to follow particularly its teaching on contraception and birth control (15.8%).

However, 62.5% accepted that the union between a man and a woman with the aim of setting up a family is based on natural law. One fourth of respondents refrained from answering this question.

One fourth (24.9%) of respondents did not agree that lapsed Catholics and declared non-believers should be allowed to celebrate a Church wedding. Those taking a more tolerant position amounted to 44%. This group varied from 22.3% who are of the opinion that the Church should accept and support these, hoping that they will return to practice their faith, to 2.5% who said that the approach should not be "no" but "yes, with restrictions” (e.g. only bless the union).

Praying together as a family (62%) is still common in Malta although 20% said that they rarely pray together as a family.

The survey found that participation at Mass remained a priority for Maltese and Gozitan Catholics: 65.2% attend Mass on Sundays and 53.1% attend frequently, according to the findings. 8.5% said that sometimes they attend Mass.

These figures, the Curia admitted, contrasted with results of the Mass attendance censuses held by the Church. However, it is obvious that both human error, statistical, margin of error and the fact that answering a question may be considered too confidential, census results are always considered to be more accurate than those based on a sample.

In this specific case, the Census of Mass attendances was essentially a headcount of those present on a particular Sunday.

The rosary and the visit to the Blessed Sacrament remained a very common mode of individual prayer: 49.4% and 45.4% respectively, while 37.7% read the Bible, according to the survey results.

The vast majority of parents (83.3%) felt that it was their vocation to transmit their faith to their children and relatives: only 2.8% did  not feel that they have this calling.

While 48.9% tried  to transmit their faith by example, especially by living characteristic Christian values (e.g. giving charity, by reciprocal love among the couple, by praying together and going to Mass together as a family); 12.3% encourage their children to participate in Church activities.

Only 6.2% “taught” religion to their children while 3.5% challenged them to live Christ's teaching.

Almost half (47.2%) felt the Church was doing its best to help couples in difficulty.  

Most respondents know of couples living together though not married. In fact, 29.9% were aware of more than six couples living in this way, 36.7% are aware of two to five couples and 9.2% know of one couple. 28.7% of the Maltese said that cohabitating couples felt  that, while God understands them, the Church does not and 9.2% thought  that the Church excluded them.

43.3% felt  that the fact that cohabitating couples were  not allowed to receive communion was a cause of pain; though 14.7% felt  that they do feel such pain. A high percentage - 35.2% - said that they do not know how these couples feel about this.

A high percentage of the Maltese were of the opinion that the Church was concerned about the fact that the divorced and remarried wished to receive Holy Communion.

This study indicated that 75% of respondents felt  that if the process of marriage annulment were to be faster, it would  help persons whose first marriage has failed; while 10.9% that this would  make the situation a bit better. 41.4% said that they did not know whether the Church was  doing anything to help the divorced and remarried to remain close to God.

SAME SEX UNIONS

When asked about the attitude of the local Church towards both the State which legislates on Civil Union between persons of the same sex, more than a quarter of the respondent (26.6%) said that the Church had either a negative attitude or directly opposed to legislation, while 8.2% said the Church objected to a law equating Civil unions with marriage and the adoption of children by gay couples.

It was  also evident that there was  no clear understanding about the pastoral ministry which is to be undertaken to help those who enter a Civil Union to live in the love of God and the Christian Faith, the Curia said.

29.8% said that all children were equal and should be treated with equal love and respect; hence children adopted by gays in a civil union should be treated with the same respect as regards their Baptism and in catechism classes.

One the other hand, 30.9% felt that people living in an irregular marriage expect the Church to treat their children in a similar manner as the children of those married by the Church; and 19.2% of respondents expected the Church to forgive them and allow them to receive the Sacraments.

BIRTH CONTROL

While 43.7% of the population said that they know what the encyclical "Humanae Vitae" teaches, an equal number (44.5%) admitted that they did not know. 81.1% of respondents said that the Church should study deeper the issue of responsible birth control. 7.9% said that the teaching of the Church about birth control was accepted by the Maltese.

On a personal level, 49.0% said that they accept and live according to the Church's teaching about responsible birth control, but find it difficult to follow, and 25.3% did not agree with the Church on this issue. 50.9% stated that the faithful still receive Holy Communion because according to their conscience, they are not doing anything wrong.

The majority (57.7%) said that the family was not always helping to give a Christian view of humanity and human vocation.

Among the critical circumstances in today's family life, which hindered a person's encounter with Christ, 29.3% said  that materialism 'in its consumerist vestige' together with a hectic life patterns hindered a person’s encounter with Christ while 11.3% blamed illness, disability, infidelity, separation, divorce, death and poverty.

The Curia said the study showed that 59.9% felt that the many crises of faith had a “great” influence on family life.