A doctrine defined at an ecumenical council carries more weight than a teaching expressed as a papal opinion. Even bishops can disagree about what is Catholic tradition. For example, the discussion of condoms in the AIDS statement of the administrative board of the United States Catholic Conference was attacked by a number of bishops. The episcopal authors of the statement, however, argued that it was in keeping with the traditional teaching on the obligation to reduce the evil consequences of one's actions. If the teaching will have little or no effect on the life of the church it may not be worth proceeding.
Many possible outcomes can result from the process of formal doctrinal dialogue.
The issues may be resolved to the satisfaction of both parties at any stage of the process. Or the issues may remain unresolved with the decision that no further action needs to be taken. The bishop may determine that it is an area of legitimate pluralism, or he may decide to publicly or privately declare that the position is in error. Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee, for example, publicly stated that the position on abortion of Marquette University Professor Maguire was not consistent with church teaching. A few bishops, such as Archbishop Stafford, feared that the procedures reflected the litigious nature of American society.