Do you confess your sins to a Priest?
Have you performed any Acts of Contrition?
Yes, all of them aside from marriage.
Yes, I have confessed my sins to a priest.
Yes, I have performed Acts of Contrition.
Nikolai: these videos of silly dancing in front of popes are deceptive nonsense, though I am personally horrified by them. Your documentary video is more serious business, and I encourage thoughtful people to view this.
I am a bad Catholic; an outsider, really, but I have historical cultural appreciation for the majesty of the Church. From my "most charitable" perspective it looks like Paul VI was trying to create a more ecumenical church that would tempt protestants back into the fold, and convert more low-IQ, short time preference bixnoods to the faith, as well as "modernize" to fit in with the space age. It should be noted that the effort was wildly successful in the latter case. I think this is possibly worse for the future of the Church, but from a theological perspective, this is a desirable outcome.
I am of the Belloq kidney: there is no Europe without The Faith, and no Faith without Europe. Converts from China or Africa may be good Catholics, but it isn't the same thing. The software works different on different hardware. Indeed, it is abundantly obvious that the software and hardware, even among Europeans has changed radically somehow, at least outside of traditionalist Churches. People simply don't take it very seriously.
While the low birth rates of Catholic nations tells a story, this is an effect, rather than a cause; the same thing is happening in all cultures confronted by modernity. The main thing which blows my mind: Western Civilization began falling apart at an incredibly high rate at the same time as Vatican-2. Maybe this is an effect, rather than a cause, but the 1970s were the last big suicide attempt of Western Civilization: it is still uncertain if this suicide attempt will prove to be fatal, but since then, there have been zero notable artistic, scientific or technological achievements from the West. To men alive in the years 1789, 1871, 1917 and 1965, the men alive in these different eras were recognizable; the differences were in technology. Personalities, morals and personal goals were similar. To anyone alive in those eras, the world of 2015 is completely bonkers. The morality of European man has been completely inverted. What was once stupid and foolhardy is now elevated as the highest good. This has consequences: there is no animating spirit any more in the West. It's a passionless zombie civilization. Despite all the "scientists" and "artists" we have now, and unprecedented prosperity, our achievements are practically nonexistant. People are pacified with masturbation, socialism and pharmaceuticals. The world will not change until some sizeable fraction of the population adopts a harsh and spare religion, dedicated towards changing themselves and others. I think this is where the revival will come from. I don't think it will be Opus Dei who seem to me poorly organized and more interested in control; it will be some new version of the Teutonic Knights. Ruthless and earthy men who live in the actual world. Or the Church will turn into an empty discotheque, and Western Man will devolve into a sort of negrito version of himself.
Ok, thanks for clarifying this point. I just wanted to make sure that you are completely insane.