The Commission on Laity (COL) has sent out three questions for discernment by members of the laity and eventual inclusion in the Sugbuswak proposal that will be submitted to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines in January 2024 and to Rome shortly thereafter.

While it may seem that the lay is an afterthought in the process, a church official said it wasn’t part of the checklist from Rome. The proposals from the lay were included as part of the church’s thrust on synodality.

The document was distributed to COL parish coordinators, vicariate coordinators, district coordinators, and officers of the Lay Organizations Movements Associations and Services.

The questions are:

1) What are the top 3 needs, concerns or problems of the laity today that need priority action by the Archdiocese or the Parish Priest? Do you have suggestions or proposals to address these needs?

2) If the Archdiocese of Cebu gives birth to two new dioceses in the North and South through SUGBUSWAK, what benefits or common good do you see for the faithful?

3) Do you foresee any problems or negative effects?

The deadline for the submission of answers is on November 30, 2023.