it is wrong to view the Catholic Church as a monolithic dictatorship. It is a huge and highly political organization, and there are voices on both sides of almost every issue.

Yeah, but only one of those sides has the power.

BTW alternatives to the Catholic Church may be even worse. Look at what this article says about the Evangelicals:

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/dec/11/brazil-abortion-law-women-desperate-measures

(We have Ratzinger to thank for that - his brutally repressive control-freakery in Latin America while acting as John Paul Ringo's enforcer made him responsible for more conversions to Protestantism than Luther managed in his lifetime).