no complicated answers required.... parents stopped taking children to church every week and society has lost any sense of sin
I used to blame Vatican 2, born in 1964. I had no formation, but a deep love for God, so I made it through the swamp by His grace alone, then began learning my faith from Catholic radio and praying outside abortion clinincs.
I can say now it wasn’t weak bishops - the Church will have and has always had weak bishops....from weak people like all of us really.
V2? Read it - it’s beautiful and they wanted everyone to evangelize like Popes JP2, B16, Francis, not just weak bishops and weak priests. We just still refuse to do it. How many of us help the poor and scared-pregnant? Here’s a few bucks, some tax momey, and go away.
My parents were so devout - didn’t teach us a darn thing but to act like them. Turned out, they didn’t understand their faith, they just held it strong, deep inside, and died with it. We needed to learn it. V2 wasn’t going to teach it to us, our parents needed to. Having taught CCD and as a homeschool teacher, let me say the best CCD is going to do is get you through your first sacrements. Parents are not teaching - it’s hard, and it’s yours to do!
Going from Latin to English (lamented all my life until I started attending Latin masses again) in reality just allowed us to lose the Catholic culture faster - again, there was no faith UNDERSTANDING behind/beside/within it. No more culture, no more faith. The parents held it firm inside and died with it. Latin, beautiful, masked the lack of understanding and when it went like a flash, the mask was off like a flash. We blame the sexual revolution, Roe v. Wade, .... but they were just the unmasked generation growing up.
The problem is me, as Chesterton said. If I fail, I, first of all, and my family (henceforth) fails and the world fails. If I succeed, God will use them and me every day I have left.
Francis said it again today - speaking to the individual and not the bishops and priests - we don’t need strategic planning, we need prayer, entrusting the success of the Church to Jesus, and moving feet.
I agree.