Wolfgang: Your point about linking the change in attitude to 'street' experience is well taken. A person may have strong political convictions but they may be modified by experience. One may have sympathies for a position which are then undermined due to lack of self-control on the part of the political forces on that side. This is were the desire for 'law and order' may trump the desire for freedom of action. Fear of anarchy, a constant peril in all societies.

As for the conservatism of the current leadership, I noticed that Pope John Paul II was extremely charismatic at all age levels, but apparently this did not lead to American Catholics practising his dicta re: birth control any differently than Americans in general.

It seems that the Western world, Catholic included, practices birth control if only for protection against disease, but probably also as population check. The new area of Catholic population growth seems to be in Africa and Asia, and population pressure would probably be the same regardless of what the Roman Catholic Church preached.

Possibly the Pope has only his charisma anymore to ENFORCE his wishes, so it is possible for him to be praised, loved, and to an extent, ignored.