It has happened a lot in my diocese, about one Sunday a month at least it seems. Some of the policticking I agree with, but would rather not have my arm twisted when I go to church. A lot of it makes me furious because they have had Maryknoll types and who knows what else they are into invited into mass to solicit contributions, magazine subscriptions, handing out forms to to legislaters to sign before you leave, etc. They've had African pastors soliciting contributions.
Frankly, the parts of it that spill over into politics shouldn't be allowed in any church proper or they may risk losing their 501c3 status. Nobody wants to touch that with a ten-foot pole.
We are (or were) required to subscribe to our diocesan newspaper. Ours is way too liberal for me and I would rather subscribe to something else with the money. If you don't ante up, the parish picks up the tab and I don't like to cause other people to pay my way ever. I cancelled my subscription.
Well you're a lot better at distillation than me because that's one of the most important points I was trying to make in my original post to this thread but didn't.
It infuriates me too, but more than that it makes me feel alienated from the Priests, the Church and my fellow parishoners, which is not a sensation I'm not fond of.
When all this stuff came out about Priests, and the abuse they've heaped on children, I felt as if I were living in an alternate universe where the Priests served the devil and not God.
It was unbelievable to me because the Priests that taught me in school were good, solid, devoted men of God. It isn't that they were perfect, but they were not evil.
Hopefully, these trials just like the personal trials we all face in our lives will make the Church better and stronger. I wish the Church well.