A SURVEY of Irish Catholics ordered by Pope Francis on issues including pre-marital sex, homosexuality and Holy Communion for the divorced and remarried will remain under wraps, Irish bishops have decided.

The decision has been strongly criticised by the Association of Irish Priests after the churches in Germany and Switzerland decided to publish their survey results.

The Association of Catholic Priests said they regret the Irish bishops' decision not to make public the results of the Vatican questionnaire ordered by the Pope ahead of the Synod of Bishops in Rome next October. The Synod was called to discuss challenges facing the family.

'The Irish Catholic' newspaper revealed that the Irish bishops won't be publishing the results because they view the survey as "a matter for the Synod of Bishops and not the local church".

The Association of Catholic Priests said in a statement last night that not publishing the Irish survey was "contrary to the openness that Pope Francis is encouraging at all levels in the church."

"We fear that, at a time when the church in Ireland is regarded with suspicion, this decision of the bishops will only serve to make many people question if they have really reported the views of the people."

They added that the decision would also create the suspicion that the results may be adapted to make them more palatable to traditional views in the Vatican and arouse "needless speculation" about their content.

Irish Independent