Good Enough Catholic

Ever since Vatican II in 1963 revolutionized the liturgical practices of the Roman Catholic Church, attracting the scrutiny of its laymembers, the church has suffered from a crisis of authority, particularly in the United States. American Catholics remain extremely loyal to their church, and yet the majority of the laity still feel free to disagree with its teachings on such defining issues as contraception, abortion, the role of women, and celibacy of priests. This tension between respect and disobedience causes a degree of guilt-ridden angst. In The Good Enough Catholic Paul Wilkes, a noted writer on religion, addresses troubled Catholics who are, he says, "spiritually hungry" and "morally unsure," suggesting that the tension is resolvable with good faith and a thoughtful, practical approach to Catholic dogma.