Survey on the Selection of the Next Pope

What are the most important considerations/qualities about the person who will be selected as the next Pope?

1. His country of origin
2. His orientation to doctrinal issues
3. His spiritual presence, inspiration, and leadership
4. His orientation to Church governance (stronger or weaker pontificate, shared responsibility, etc.)
5. His ability to address management and financial issues confronting the global Church
6. His willingness to address the clergy sexual abuse crisis globally

What are the most important Church governance/management issues that the next Pope will face?

1. Financial management
2. More local control (on parish and diocesan levels)
3. Greater roles for lay Catholics (shared responsibility)
4. Better structures of accountability for clergy and bishops
5. Addressing clergy sexual abuse crisis
6. Response to priest shortage

What are the most important global issues facing the next Pope?

1. Church’s relationship with Islamic world
2. Church’s relationship with other Christian faiths
3. Church’s relationship with Western societies
4. Church’s response to global poverty, hunger
5. Church’s promotion of peace
6. Church’s promotion of “culture of life”

What are the most important cultural issues within the Catholic Church?

1. Gender roles
2. Sexual morals and ethics
3. Relationship between clericalism and lay participation
4. Prayerful, constructive dialogue across ideological divisions
5. Addressing culture of secrecy within the Church

What spiritual presence should the next Pope have?

1. As the definitive interpreter of the Word (Interpreter)
2. To set spiritual direction and to guide the Church toward it (Guider)
3. As one who inspires and engages the Church in prayerful reflection of the word (Facilitator)
   

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About Voice of the Faithful: Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Catholics formed in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The group's mission is to provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church. Its goals are to support victim/survivors of abuse, support priests of integrity, and shape structural change within the Catholic Church in full accordance and harmony with Church teaching. VOTF’s supporting membership exceeds 30,000 registered persons from 50 U.S. states, 39 countries and 210 Parish Voice affiliates throughout the world.