text: Call me a hopeless optimist, but I don't see the demise of the church in our future. One of the best homilies I ever heard was from a priest in a former parish many years ago. He made the point that we had historically survived truly evil popes and all sorts of awful scandals and were/are still standing. It was very affirming to hear him admitting lots of sins in our institutional past, yet reminding us that Christ still bears with us. He did, after all, promise to be with us always.
  
  Our hope IMHO lies in the many really good priests as well as wonderful, loving lay people in our midst. Most of the priests I've known labor ceaselessly in their efforts to bring the Gospel to life for us in the pews. As for the bishops, I've had issues with many of them but have to admit they have a near impossible job, and they are worthy of mercy as well as the rest of us.
  
  Doesn't mean that we shouldn't work for effective change!