Have the Supposedly Pro Life and Pro Marriage/Family Initiatives of the USCCB, State Catholic Conferences, and [Arch]Diocesan Offices Outlived Their Usefulness?

Have the Supposedly Pro Life and Pro Marriage/Family Initiatives of the USCCB, State Catholic Conferences, and [Arch]Diocesan Offices Outlived Their Usefulness?  Based on my own experience since the 1970s, my answer would be a resounding YES.  In fact, I believe they are now often getting in the way and allowing some to have the impression that the sanctity of human life and marriage/family are optional.

Almost two decades ago, I wrote:

A "cafeteria" mindset is often noted to exist among misguided Catholics. Some have gotten the notion that the Church offers teaching on the sanctity of human life and marriage for "conservatives," while she alternately offers teaching on social concerns for "liberals." Authentic, seamless connections between teachings on the sanctity of human life, marriage and family, and social issues get lost [I would now add my impression that this is largely owing to failures on the part of the USCCB and state Catholic conferences.]. While no history of "Catholic Social Teaching" would be complete without an extensive discussion of Msgr. John A. Ryan, Ph.D, Msgr. Ryan kept Church teachings on human life, marriage and family, and social issues very much intact.

As director of the social justice department of the National Catholic Welfare Conference (now the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) and as a CUA [Catholic University of America] professor, Ryan was the face of Catholic Social Teaching in the first part of the 20th century in the United States. Long before Humanae Vitae discussed the anti-family agendas of those promoting contraceptives, Ryan took on Planned Parenthood founder and eugenics pioneer Margaret Sanger. He recognized that promotion of contraceptives served as an accomplice to selfishness among some wealthy and powerful of this country, who would accept workers' sweat but not their families....Ryan argued for just family wages, which would allow a worker to properly support his family....

"Casti Connubii" [Pope Pius XI's encyclical of 1930]...is a profound and beautiful treatise on marriage. Proclaiming marriage's dignity and sanctity, Pius XI shows deep affection and paternal concern that people not be led astray. Preventing such, he calls the "sacred trust" of priests and bishops....

It was into a festering chasm of chaos and confusion that Pope Paul VI presented "Humane Vitae".... "'A peculiar, implicit gentleman's agreement has developed between clergy and hierarchy in which the hierarchy commits itself not to try to seriously enforce compliance with Humanae Vitae so long as the clergy is not too open and public in its opposition to the encyclical,' Andrew Greeley asserted in 1972" (p. 263). While no promoter of Humanae Vitae, [Professor] Tentler acknowledges that this silent treatment has had a devastating impact: "The result was a church where sexual ethics were seldom discussed, despite rapid change in the cultural values.... Divorce rates rose, even among regular churchgoers, as did the practice of premarital cohabitation. Birth and marriage rates declined....Many Catholics...were newly tolerant of abortion" (pp. 276, 277).

The post Humane Vitae silence has continued for a generation and a half. Some Catholics nearing menopause may have never even encountered the clergy's "sacred trust." If we truly love our clergy, don't those of us who embrace the Theology of the Body and NFP bear responsibility to remind them that Pius XI's words were never abrogated? "If any confessor or pastor of souls, which may God forbid, lead the faithful entrusted to him into these errors or should at least confirm them by approval or by guilty silence, let him be mindful of the fact that he must render a strict account to God, the Supreme Judge, for the betrayal of his sacred trust" (Amazon review, 9/13/2005)

In the 1990s, I remember being inspired by the writings of USCCB staff like Helen Alvare and Richard Doerflinger.  They provided information which was not being provided elsewhere.  That is NOT my current impression of the Pro Life and Pro Marriage/Family Initiatives of the USCCB, State Catholic Conferences, and [Arch]Diocesan Offices. 

How on earth are we hearing so little when the Democratic Party is shamelessly promoting abortion, transgenderism, and supposed alternatives to the traditional family? 

God help us!