Celibacy is always, shall we say, an affront to what man normally thinks. It is something that can be done, and is only credible, if there is a God and if celibacy is my doorway into the kingdom of God.
Certainly, it is difficult to make the demands of the Gospel understandable to secularized people. But this pastoral difficulty must not lead to compromises with the truth.
The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life."
To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth – that is not living, but existing.
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.
An unusually good entry on the Catholic Herald entitled "Why Catholics should defend indulgences" gives a good account on indulgences.
It is a very good explanation on why they are a good that should not only be defended but promoted, and shows that it is entirely in line with Christian apostolic tradition.
Distinctions Matter
Distinctions Matter Forward
Missale Romanum
Pre-1951 Calendar