Joe insists that the church is shedding its old ways, but read the encyclicals at the Vatican website, and it is evident that the old superstitions are still central to their (and those of Francis)beliefs.

www.vatican.va (select English)

The encyclical letter by Francis, "Lumen fidei," offers little except re-affirmation of the old ways.
"The light of autonomous reason is not enough to illumine the future...The future remains shadowy and fraught with fear of the unknown....Truth itself..... incapable of showing the way."

The lengthy article offers little that shows an advance in attitude to science over the days of Galileo.
Attitudes remain, e. g.:
Francis discusses the faith of Israel but immediately goes into discussion of the "Fullness of the Faith" (Christian).

Salvation, and a chapter entitled "Unless you believe you will not understand " follow, all pointing out that his way is the only way,
"The Dialogue Between Faith and Reason" - of course in his mind faith wins.
Near the end of chapter two, he comments on theology, "Theology cannot consider the magisterium of the pope and the bishops in communion with him as something extrinsic, a limitation of its freedom, but rather as one of its internal, constitutive dimensions....." The substance is that Frsncis and his bishops are the sole interpreters and must be followed.

The encyclical goes on in two more chapters, all in all, offering nothing new and no evolving thought, just reaffirmation of the old beliefs.

The current directors of the church offer nothing that would change the ways of the executors- the clergy, the groups such as Franciscans and Jesuits, act.

Faith schools continue to be divisive, as noted in preceding material posted by Jim Carroll. Even here in Alberta, some communities where the French influence is strong, the beliefs of the RC are given priority.

I still would not permit a pregnancy in the family to be assisted in a Catholic-run hospital, where the baby is given precedence, if it came to saving the life of one or the other. I wonder how many cases of this type were decided by the Bon Secours women.

Joe continues to talk about conditions in the U. S., but in magnitude they are different in the countries to the south, Mexico to Argentina, or the Philippines and some areas in Africa where the faith has been sold.

We do not know if conditions leading to those that existed in Ireland persist in large area of the world.