Hi, gnu -

The short answer is that the bigger and older an organization is, the slower it moves. I suppose you could say that there's an advantage in that the Catholic Church doesn't get lost in shallow fads....

Actually, there can be advantages to a strong reliance on tradition. It can help us to appreciate the wisdom of the past, and not get hung up on the ephemeral.

The trick, however, is not to let the past rule without question. Many of our best teachers from the past, are our mistakes. No need to repeat them. I love my Catholic religion and its traditions. I find the structure and doctrine and rules necessary to carry on those traditions, but I can't imagine why a person would follow rules that just aren't right. And standard Catholic teaching tells people that a rule does not apply when it leads people to do wrong. As always, conscience is the final arbiter.

-Joe-