While it is well-known that American Catholics in large numbers disagree with the Roman Catholic hierarchy’s position forbidding the use of birth control and abortion, it is often assumed that this disagreement is an exclusively Western phenomena. Indeed, the Vatican has used this assumption to portray itself as the champion of the developing South with its efforts to influence the language and concepts in the final document for International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo. The draft Programme of Action for the ICPD, the Vatican argues, is tantamount to Western imperialism because of a perceived attempt to foist abortion and contraception upon an unsuspecting - and unwelcoming - developing world. In this context, the Vatican presumes to speak on behalf of the entire developing world, much of which, of course, is not Catholic.

But the notion that the Vatican speaks for all Catholics is also suspect. A recent report published by Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC), Catholics and Reproduction: A World View, demonstrates that dissent in both opinion and practice from official teachings on contraception and abortion is a worldwide phenomenon. For the report, CFFC compiled polling data and other statistical information from predominantly Catholic countries in Europe, Latin America, as well as Catholics from the Philippines, the United States and Canada. From this data, it is clear that there is substantial disagreement among Catholics with church leaders on questions regarding abortion, contraception and sexuality.

The Catholic church forbids the use of modem contraception and voluntary sterilization, and permits only periodic abstinence (natural family planning) as a method of birth control. The church also forbids the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Regardless of such prohibitions, however, substantial percentages of women of reproductive age throughout Latin America use modern contraception, ranging from a high of 58 percent in Costa Rica to a low of 12% in Bolivia.

However, given the limitations to the widespread availability of contraception the attitudes of people in this overwhelmingly Catholic region of the world may be even more telling. Seventy-two percent of Brazilian Catholics believe that it is permissible to use any method of birth control regardless of the Catholic hierarchy’s position. Among sexually active Chilean youth, only 20% use no contraception and 7% rely on periodic abstinence. Such numbers apply to predominantly Catholic nations outside Latin America as well: In the Philippines, 80% of the total population approve of condom use, 75% approve of voluntary sterilization in some or all circumstances, and 83% agree with the government’s promotion of condoms as a protection against AIDS.

On the matter of abortion, which is strictly forbidden by the Catholic hierarchy even to save the life of women, statistics on both attitude and practice demonstrate that Catholics disagree with the hierarchy’s teaching in large numbers as well. According to recent data from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the percentages of pregnancies ending in abortion in Latin America are as high or higher than those in the United States, despite the fact that abortion is illegal throughout the region.

A large proportion of Latin Americans also have opinions regarding abortion contrary to the official pronouncements of the church. In Chile, 46% say abortion should be permitted in special cases or that it should be available to all women; 40% of Brazilian Catholics think that couples should be free to decide for themselves regarding abortion; and 57.4% of Mexicans believe that a women can still be a "good Christian" even if she has had an induced abortion. Similar numbers hold in Europe. In Poland, only 10% agree with the hierarchy’s position banning abortion.

Practically speaking, when the adherents of a faith no longer follow a particular precept of that religion, the precept is in jeopardy. Theologians refer to one tenet of the Catholic church known as sensus fidelium (the sense of the faithful), which teaches that valid doctrine relies on the teaching of the church and the assent of the faithful. And when Catholics in such huge numbers no longer follow the uncompromising dictates of the hierarchy on abortion and contraception, the question goes well beyond a mere question of running a church by polls.

In addition to the value of collective Catholic opinion is the primacy of the individual Catholic’s conscience. The bishops of Vatican II stated in Lumen Gentium (The Light of Humanity/Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) that a Catholic should respond with "submission of the will and the intellect" in the case of non-irreformable doctrine. However, the bishops add in Dignitatis Hunionae (Of Human Dignity/The Declaration on Religious Liberty) that s/he must not submit to the point of violating his/her conscience. Indeed, as a Catholic, one has an obligation to follow one’s own conscience even if it is contrary to the teachings of the church.

Whether engaged in a personal conversation with a nation’s leader, or testifying before a parliamentary committee, bishops the world over presume to speak on behalf of their entire flock in public policy settings. And, while the hierarchy may be free to disregard the viewpoints of most Catholics in spite of the church’s own teachings on conscience and sensus fidelium, the development of sound public policy demands that policy makers consider the views of all its citizens. The leaders of the world would do well to know that on reproductive issues, the Catholic hierarchy is out of touch with its followers.

This article appeared in the Bulletin of the Progress Toward Sustainability Development Centre for Our Common Future, Switzerland.