I believe your stat about younger Priests leaning more to the Conservative side, but I don't think the Catholic population is following suit. As I see it, current Catholics want a Catholicism that is easy, that is in line with what is accepted by secular society at large.
They want to be able to practice birth control, they want to be able to be divorced, and they secretly want abortion to stay legal should they find themselves in a jam. They'll worry about the jam, murder, God and damnation later, they still want the convenient out that is abortion. They won't admit it because they know its wrong, but society's embrace of it assuages their guilt and attenuates their bond to the Catholic proscription against it. Once gay unions become an accepted fact look for a replay.
The Catholic Church may yet turn itself around and remain true to its Cathechism, but that turnaround is a long, long way off, and if it is to be accomplished a fumigation and much extirpation is in order.
The diaconate is a vocation to Holy Orders. Perhaps you're not up on the theology of Ordained Ministries.
I'm wondering if you are aware of the three levels of Holy Orders:
Diaconate
Priesthood
Episcopacy
Deacons are ordained right along with priests and bishops. Why are you so negative about them?
What I took from the piece is that the number of nominal Catholics is on the rise, but given the decreasing trend in Catholic marriages and Catholic-school students and vocations, the number of practicing Catholics is on the decline. At the same time, there is a trend reversal in vocations, and sharp increased in measures of lay participation; Given the scandals of the past couple years, this is remarkable.
The Church seems to be following Ratzinger's prediction: leaner and stronger.