This pope is responsible for a good many Catholics taking a timeout with the Church. They reason that if this is where the Church is headed (i.e., where Francis is taking it), then they are not on board.
I struggle with this. I believe taking a couple hours out of my week to properly worship with other Christians is an important practice but many times I leave mass feeling empty and jaded because of stances pushed by the current Catholic hierarchy. My priest tries to avoid it but he often falls in line. I don’t feel inspired. I feel like I’m being pick-pocketed both monetarily and spiritually.
I started focusing an hour of my week on reading the Bible. I have to confess it isn’t something I’ve put into practice in my life and always depended on the church for my religious teachings. Only now at 32 have I realized how misguided that has been.
I believe in Catholic doctrine but I find more peace and focus on Christ when I read and meditate on my own. It’s bittersweet because I would love to worship with my faith community.