"The idea of an observant Catholic completely disregarding this matter of basic morality, but at the same time observing the ban on artificial methods of birth control for religious reasons is pretty ridiculous, doncha think?"

I don't actually, because in the real world the two don't necessarily go together. What seems like sound theological dogma when dreamed up in the hushed precincts of the Vatican don't translate into the harsh reality of the real world. In fact, it's pretty ridiculous to think it does and seeing that within the church systematic, deeply immoral behaviour has been actively covered up over the years would make that glaringly obvious.

That's before you've even got to the sort of society and environment so many of their flock live in a world away from the comfortable, closeted and privileged existence the bloated grandees of the church are familiar with.

Which is why proclamations from decrepit old men safely ensconsed in their exclusive old boy's club should be treated with the utter contempt they deserve, and even more so when they're trying to directly influence the elected government of a democracy (I use the term advisedly) of a country where most of the people don't subscribe to their anachronistic dogma anyway.