Michele Dillon

Commentary: Euphemization has enabled the hierarchy to mask the double truths — celibacy/sexual activity and priestly service/power — that have sustained its consecrated status for many generations of Catholics.

Humanae Vitae at 50: The encyclical unintentionally transformed Catholics' relationship to church authority, so that today two-thirds (66 percent) of American Catholics say that individuals should rely on their own authority in making decisions about contraception. 

In the case of women's commitment to the Catholic Church, the overall story is one of stability, and even slightly increased commitment, rather than further decline.