Sounds like the Church is dead where you are. But not everywhere. My point (which you missed, probably intentionally) is that the most vibrant lay movements in the Catholic Church today are all conservative. The pro-life movement is just one example. The laity, increasingly the younger laity, are pushing the clergy to take stronger positions on the issue.
Couldn't care less who the pope is? The geriatric set who read America and Commonweal and NCR can only wish that were true of younger Catholics.
Ask "younger Catholics" what they think of contraception, and if they intend to use it.
I don't see any evidence in the polls of this theologically conservative resurgance among younger Catholics. In fact, at least in the US, I tend to recall the opposite.
Sure.
That explains the 5 million or so which showed up in Rome, and the estimated 2 BILLION that watched all or some of the TV coverage beginning with the announcement of "whats-his-name's" death.
There are some folks to whom your statement applies, partially, Sink.
While USCC bureaucrats and most US Diocesan bureaucrats and Bishops can actually name the reigning Pontiff, they couldn't care less about his teachings.
Significant difference.