Conservative Catholics need to think again

PEOPLE of a conservative persuasion within the Catholic Church are interpreting the election of the new Pope as a vindication of the belief in the immorality of contraception, divorce, women priests, abortion, homosexuality, etc, and are arguing that those who do not accept these teachings have to either change their minds and get with the picture, or leave the Church altogether.

However, this conservative outlook seems to be far more concerned with preserving a culture of obedience within Catholicism which, in turn, reinforces an image of the church that is preachy, dogmatic and unsympathetic to the lives and circumstances of ordinary people.

This kind of a Church, far from being an influential institution for the promotion of morality, would become increasingly irrelevant to most people.