Joan,
Agreed.  But I think it's about a LOT MORE than having more options.  It's not lost on people that the Vatican prefers to silence theologians rather than engage them straight on.  Nor has the church made ANY ref fort to even try to advance, even as we have had a steady stream of exciting and thought provoking info from the sciences, in communications, nutrition, medicine, etc.   and then you have the church's leadership , seeming to WANT to be a boat anchor on human development, even as its leadership still blames it's problems on the laity, on society, on "secularism," or just about anybody but themselves.

I too was raised in that rigid church.  I didn't to eave it over bases to liturgical music, because  I had a heavenly visitation.

The church has become not just boring, but embarrassing.   The railroading of JPIIs canonization would make party leaders (either party)  proud. The simple truth is that Jesus has become lost in the fog...