As a child I attended Catholic Action (Azione Cattolica), I went to Mass every Sunday, I confessed and I took communion. Then, electrocuted on the road to Damascus, but in the opposite sense, I forgot everything, Church, religion, faith, priests, sacraments. Everything.
And I did well. I never regretted that choice. And even if I were to repent, the Church would promptly take the field to remind me not to make the mistake. Eight per thousand, tax evasion, ostentatious wealth, pedophilia, IOR, interference in politics. There has always been a great deal of reason to stay on this side of the Tiber. Every now and then there is a good pope, sometimes you meet healthy and just priests (I call them the pretacci). But in principle the Church remains an institution from which it is better to stay away.
It never disappoints us. Would you have imagined that the Church would oppose the rules of engagement with the coronavirus? Is it really so indispensable to go to mass endangering people’s health? Go! Everyone inside the churches to breathe poisonous bacilli. He says: all right but the host we take it with gloves! He says: but we will no longer exchange the sign of peace! He says: but we will respect the distances! And we will leave out those for whom there will be no room. I don’t believe in God. But if it does exist at this moment he is shaking his head murmuring to himself: But why did I create them so stupid?
