Poll shows Increasing disapproval of Pope's handling of sex abuse scandal

From the Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life.

Amid new revelations of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI's job ratings for handling the scandal have plummeted. Only about one-in-ten (12%) say the pope has done an excellent (3%) or good job (9%) in addressing the sex abuse scandal; 71% say he has done a poor (44%) or only fair (27%) job.

The last few years have definitely been a rough patch for the Catholic Church. It will survive, however, but not because it will eliminate this problem and become better for it. It will survive because, after nearly 2000 years, it has institutional inertia and tradition on its side. It only has to wait a decade or two and this will all be forgotten. As disapproving as they are, few people will leave the Church because of this. There is far too much to be lost by leaving an institution with such a deep hold upon its adherents, their families, and communities.

I think I was able to break free from the Catholic Church mainly due to my loner, hermit-like tendencies. Having little family and community ties to the Church made leaving less painful. Additionally, my burgeoning distrust of authority in all its forms surely contributed to my willingness to abandon Mother Church as well. I doubt most Catholics are in the same position as I was.

I suspect that most Catholics feel free to express unhappiness with the Church over this, but when it comes right down to it, if the problem doesn't directly affect them or those close to them, it's easy to push it out of their mind and get on with their lives. For these people, the costs of authentic protest up to and including leaving the Church are far too high to even be considered.

That's too bad, because in my view, the Catholic Church could really use a smack upside the head; and that can only come by means of drastic drops in membership and the resulting fall in revenue. That is the only thing that would get the attention of the Catholic Church, the largest corporation on the planet.