Poll: U.S. Catholics See a Church Out of Touch

As a bunch of bitter - and in many cases likely closeted - old men assembly in Rome to select a new Pope, a new poll suggests that the a significant majority of American Catholic see the Roman Catholic Church as out of touch and blithely ignore the spiritual dictates emanating from the Vatican and bishoprics populated with those who participated in the conspiracy to protect sexual predators preying on children.  While the bitter old queens try to ignore this reality, American Catholics remain among the most important bank rollers of the Vatican's finances.  The New York Times looks at the poll results.  Here are some article highlights:

Roman Catholics in the United States say that their church and bishops are out of touch, and that the next pope should lead the church in a more modern direction on issues like birth control and ordaining women and married men as priests, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll. 

Seven out of 10 say Pope Benedict XVI and the Vatican have done a poor job of handling sexual abuse, a significant rise from three years ago. A majority said that the issue had led them to question the Vatican’s authority. The sexual abuse of children by priests is the largest problem facing the church, Catholics in the poll said. 

Three-fourths of those polled said they thought it was a good idea for Benedict to resign. Most wanted the next pope to be “someone younger, with new ideas.” A majority said they wanted the next pope to make the church’s teachings more liberal. 

With cardinals now in Rome preparing to elect Benedict’s successor, the poll indicated that the church’s hierarchy had lost the confidence and allegiance of many American Catholics, an intensification of a long-term trend.

Even Catholics who frequently attend Mass said they were not following the bishops’ lead on issues that the church had recently invested much energy, money and credibility in fighting — artificial birth control and same-sex marriage. 

The poll suggested that the papacy no longer occupies the exalted position it once did.   .  .  .  .  Nearly 8 in 10 Catholics polled said they would be more likely to follow their conscience on “difficult moral questions” than to follow the pope’s teachings. 

Seven of 10 Catholics polled said the next pope should let priests marry, let women become priests and allow the use of artificial methods of birth control. Nine of 10 said they wanted the next pope to allow the use of condoms to prevent the spread of H.I.V. and other diseases. 

Sixty-two percent of Catholics said they were in favor of legalizing marriage for same-sex couples. Catholics approved of same-sex marriage at a higher rate than Americans as a whole, among whom 53 percent approved.

The American bishops also appear to have lost ground among their own flock in their campaign to fight the White House rule that requires employers to provide insurance coverage for contraceptives — a campaign the bishops say is about religious freedom. 

The Vatican has basically lost America and, if another Medieval minded Pope is elected by the coming conclave, the safest bet is that the desertions will increase and the Vatican will only succeed in further marginalizing itself in America as well as the rest of the advanced world.