text: Thanks, BROohthor - I live in southern California, where there are four main dioceses: L.A., Orange, San Diego, and San Bernardino, with about 8 million registered Catholics. I'm not sure these folks are drifting away from their respective churches because of the Vatican culture. I think the church has not evolved in its ability to speak to modern society in credible ways and people sense that. Some, wanting a more inclusive church, move to Anglican communities, but most, by far, move to congregational and/or evangelical communities, which are, if anything, less inclusive. In short, although I agree that the Vatican culture is a problem, I think the larger problem is that the US Church doesn't have a message people find credible -- unless I'm missing something. I am hearing impaired, after all....monica.