Thank you, Tom for an enlightening article focusing on spiritual growth & the inst. church. I'd like to reflect upon areas in the RCC that make it difficult for me to concentrate on my relationship with Jesus (in order):
1. lack of ability to ordain women
2. need to reform the stilted worship service (Mass)
3. pray, pay & obey: no power for laity
4. continued sex abuse scandal & cover-up
5. financial scandals in Curia; occur about every eight years
6. Vatican City State --- RCC is only religion in the world that presumes to have a "secular" government (please don't mention the "historical" reasons)
Note that these observations apply to Europe, US & AZ & Canada, as I do not have experience in the "Third World."
Some "baby boomers" seem to have accepted the RCC's reluctance to change, while the younger generations are (or already have) tuned out the hierarchy, leaving empty pews, urban parishes in decay, rural parishes decimated, and a wistfulness for a forgotten time (1950's).