"medieval mindset. "
I think it's a bit more fundamental than that Dave.
The Church, rather than being a source of spiritual guidance, is little more than an arm of the State - on hand to lend a hand in wars, if necessary, or to pacify civil disorder..... and more or less anything it is called on to do.
The Church of England was deliberately created by England's head of state, Henry VIII in order to guarantee his and his heirs' position as rulers of England
I think Joe is right to a degree, that in some ways the Catholic Church is becoming more liberal, but I'm not sure whether this is enlightenment or simply pragmatism, in the light of ongoing the clerical abuse scandals and especially what happened in Ireland with the same-sex referendum - unthinkable even a decade ago.
I think the Bishop of Dublin hit the nail on the head when he said that the referendum result was a "wake-up call for the Church.
I noticed while thumbing through the internet that there are a number of substantial calls from progressive groups for a return to "the real meaning of the gospel".
It will be interesting to see if they have any success, and if so, what the reaction of the various hierarchies will be.
Interesting days, eigh - I knew a lot of lapsed Catholics who would have loved to have loved to see it!
Jim Carroll