You really have to take the long view in things like this. It's not like the Church hasn't survived "interesting" times before. In the 4th Century the Arian heresy had hold of nearly the entire Church hierarchy, and the support of the Emperors. Even the then Pope, Liberius may have temporarily acquiesced to the heresy under heavy pressure and persecution by the Arians. It was only through the fervid opposition of a few bishops such as St. Anthanasius of Alexandria and St. Hilary of Poitiers, both of whom were exiled that the Heresy was beaten back. In fact St. Anthanasius was exiled several times and was even excommunicated at one point. Eventually though, orthodoxy won through.
The Reformation was another crisis that the Church faced and survived. In that case the there were several heresies floating about but through the Counter-Reformation the Church was able to renew itself and contain the "damage".
In our time, the problem is "Modernism" labelled as the "synthesis of all Heresies" by Pope Pius X. While there are several aspects to Modernisn, at the root of it is the belief that Christian Dogma is not eternal, but changes with the times. Most major Protestant churches long ago succumbed to this - a well known example being the Anglican Church's decision in the 1930s to permit birth control and all the other innovations such as female ministers, gay marriage, support for abortion, etc etc.
The Catholic Church has never formally succumbed to Modernism, but the Second Vatican Council of the early 1960s cracked the door open and the modernisers have been pushing hard against it ever since, causing a great deal of confusion and angst and causing millions of Catholics to abandon the faith. While the current Pope pays lip service to the unchanging nature of Christian Dogma, his close supporters are openly modernist and he has obliged them by loosening discipline or using such vague language that those who wish to can interpret dogma as having changed. He's done it on various issues, most notoriously in attempting to label adulterous second marriages as not being sinful despite Christ's hardass teachings on the matter.
Now this all seems very grim, but it's worth remembering that the Arian Heresy lasted into the late 7th Century - it was active for nearly four hundred years. Protestantism is nearly 500 years old and is only now entering its death throes. We're only 50 years in from Vatican II and while there's a great deal of rot in the Church as a result of Modernism, it is encountering pushback which I expect to grow as faithful Catholics are forced admit that the Church has gone off the rails and have no choice but to pick a side.
One perplexing and hopeful note in the current mess is that the current Pope seems to be on the verge of regularizing the Society of St Pius X, and doing so on their terms. Some might say it's better to have them inside pissing out than outside pissing in, but I expect that it result will be neither - they'll be inside the Church with all the credibility that brings to them, but still pissing inwards on the Modernists.
I had this Pope pegged as a wrong 'un the moment he stepped out onto the balcony in St. Peter's Square so nothing that's followed has surprised me. Despite all the doom saying floating around from some quarters he won't be the first unworthy occupant to sit in Peter's Chair, nor no doubt the last.
The Reformation was another crisis that the Church faced and survived. In that case the there were several heresies floating about but through the Counter-Reformation the Church was able to renew itself and contain the "damage".
In our time, the problem is "Modernism" labelled as the "synthesis of all Heresies" by Pope Pius X. While there are several aspects to Modernisn, at the root of it is the belief that Christian Dogma is not eternal, but changes with the times. Most major Protestant churches long ago succumbed to this - a well known example being the Anglican Church's decision in the 1930s to permit birth control and all the other innovations such as female ministers, gay marriage, support for abortion, etc etc.
The Catholic Church has never formally succumbed to Modernism, but the Second Vatican Council of the early 1960s cracked the door open and the modernisers have been pushing hard against it ever since, causing a great deal of confusion and angst and causing millions of Catholics to abandon the faith. While the current Pope pays lip service to the unchanging nature of Christian Dogma, his close supporters are openly modernist and he has obliged them by loosening discipline or using such vague language that those who wish to can interpret dogma as having changed. He's done it on various issues, most notoriously in attempting to label adulterous second marriages as not being sinful despite Christ's hardass teachings on the matter.
Now this all seems very grim, but it's worth remembering that the Arian Heresy lasted into the late 7th Century - it was active for nearly four hundred years. Protestantism is nearly 500 years old and is only now entering its death throes. We're only 50 years in from Vatican II and while there's a great deal of rot in the Church as a result of Modernism, it is encountering pushback which I expect to grow as faithful Catholics are forced admit that the Church has gone off the rails and have no choice but to pick a side.
One perplexing and hopeful note in the current mess is that the current Pope seems to be on the verge of regularizing the Society of St Pius X, and doing so on their terms. Some might say it's better to have them inside pissing out than outside pissing in, but I expect that it result will be neither - they'll be inside the Church with all the credibility that brings to them, but still pissing inwards on the Modernists.
I had this Pope pegged as a wrong 'un the moment he stepped out onto the balcony in St. Peter's Square so nothing that's followed has surprised me. Despite all the doom saying floating around from some quarters he won't be the first unworthy occupant to sit in Peter's Chair, nor no doubt the last.