A civilization inspired by a consumerist, anti-birth mentality is not and cannot ever be a civilization of love.
Evil too, will always be part of the mystery of the Church. And when we see what men, what the clergy have done in the Church, then that is nothing short of proof that he [Christ] founded and upholds the Church. If she were dependent on men, she would long since have perished.
It is sad that there are what you might call professional Catholics who make a living on their Catholicism, but in whom the spring of faith flows only faintly, in a few scattered drops. We must really make an effort to change this.
For many people today, practical atheism is the normal rule of life...If this attitude becomes a general existential position, then freedom no longer has any standards, then everyting is possible and permissible.
Assuredly, the word of truth can be painful and uncomfortable. But it is the way to holiness, to peace, and to inner freedom. A pastoral approach which truly wants to help the people concerned must always be grounded in the truth. In the end, only the truth can be pastoral.
Honestly, I'll bake you a cake if you can make sense of what Bergoglio is trying to say in his speech on decommissioning churches, i.e., closing them because NOChurch has chased people away from the faith.
Distinctions Matter
Distinctions Matter Forward
Missale Romanum
Pre-1951 Calendar