h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"The pope's 1968 encyclical probably did more to erode the church's moral authority than anything else the church has done in the past century. Catholics listened, and made up their own minds."

In terms of authority over individuals, I guess you are correct (I come from a catholic family). However, in terms of eroding its moral authority, the church wiped that out in one fell swoop; in the late 1930s Rome conspired with the Nazis to stop catholics from challenging the regime. The catholics that listened and then made up their own mind in that case went to the concentration camps.

The church can fairly argue that on condoms they are only following their own morality consistently, but with their own (recent) history, they are hardly starting from the moral high ground. It is a very good article, well done.

Thanks.

My use of the word 'probably' was deliberate.