Believers attend the "Lord of Miracles", Peru's most revered Catholic religious icon, procession as vendors sell religious pictures in Lima October 28, 2013. The "Lord of Miracles" painting can be traced to the colonial era when an Angolan slave drew an image of a black Jesus Christ on the walls of a hut in a plantation of Pachacamila, near Lima. The image is known as the "Lord of Miracles", after an earthquake in the 17th century destroyed most of the city, leaving only the mural standing. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo (PERU - Tags: RELIGION TRAVEL)

Pope Francis continues to shake the very portals of the Roman Catholic faith. In what could be a first for the secular religion, Catholics around the world have been summoned to respond to a global survey which has bravely listed questions on gay marriage, divorce and birth control, among others.

The questionnaire was part of preparations for a meeting of the Synod on the Family in October 2014. It has been at least more than 50 years since the Vatican conducted such global surveys among its believers. The last was made in the 1960s, according to the Daily Mail.

"The social and spiritual crisis, so evident in today's world, is becoming a pastoral challenge in the Church's evangelising mission concerning the family," the Vatican survey said.

The Vatican's strict orders surrounding the survey was that its bishops must share the survey with all parish priests, who in turn must seek the views of their respective parishioners.

However, Vatican officials were quick on the draw that whatever consensus culled from the 39-question survey will not render life-altering changes in the Catholic faith. At least not that immediate.

"We don't have a desire to re-open all the discussion on Catholic doctrine," Cardinal Peter Erdo, the synod's Hungarian coordinator, told a news conference called to present the survey.

"It is not a question of public opinion," he said. although the synod might consider the general tone that could come off the survey, solutions to difficult pastoral situations would still be resolved "within the doctrine that we already have."

Among the questions in the survey include:

  • "What pastoral attention can be given to people who live in these types of [same-sex] union?"
  • "In the case of unions of persons of the same sex who have adopted children, what can be done pastorally in light of transmitting the faith?"
  • "Do [the divorced and remarried] feel marginalized or suffer from the impossibility of receiving the sacraments?"
  • "In cases where non-practicing Catholics or declared non-believers request the celebration of marriage, describe how this pastoral challenge is dealt with."

"I think it demonstrates a grounding in the practical realities of the world," Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of the gay Catholic organization DignityUSA, told NBCNews.

Pope Francis celebrates a Mass for cardinals and bishops who died in the past year, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, November 4, 2013. REUTERS/Remo Casilli (VATICAN - Tags: RELIGION)

Thomas Groome, a professor of theology at Boston College, however, said it still "remains to be seen" the pope's latest shake would correspond to any definitive action.

"To my knowledge, it's the first time in the history of the magisterium have genuinely attempted to consult the laity," he said.

"At least he's started the conversation," Mr Groome said.

"All of these things have been closed issues and you could be fired for even talking about them. Raising these questions and polling people - it at least signals something other than a closed mind. You have to thank God for small mercies."

Although the synod could facilitate that shake-up, it does not make decisions "based on the majority of public opinion. That is not how it works," Italian Archbishop Bruno Forte, who will be the synod's secretary-general, was quoted by Reuters.

Still, he admitted the synod cannot ignore its glaring results. "If a large part of public opinion feels a certain way... we will have to reflect, pray and (the pope) will shed light on it."

The questionnaire can be found here - http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20131105_iii-assemblea-sinodo-vescovi_en.html