Over the last few weeks I've read many eloquent essays by outraged Catholic laymen. Things must change! And they have the solution!
But their attitude parallels the battered woman who can't bring herself to leave the abusive boyfriend. She always holds out hope that next time will be different. "He really loves me. This time he's sworn off the bottle for good!"
Or the son who hungers for paternal approval. He lives to please his father, but try as he might, he always falls short. Dad is chronically dissatisfied with his son's performance. Yet the son keeps hoping in vain and laboring in vain to make his father proud. Next time will be different. If he works that much harder at sports. Or adds one more sport. Or gets a better grade, he will finally earn his father's approval. But nothing is ever enough. He can never be good enough. Smart enough. Athletic enough.
Catholic laymen who are simultaneously furious yet unconditionally loyal to the institution, suffer from the same mentality. They keep coming back. Next time will be different. Yet there's always another next time.
Or to re-use one of the metaphors you've previously used..... when your ship is sunk below the water-line, and the hold is filling with water, it doesn't matter how strong your will to make things better is. The ship is still going to hit the bottom within a time-frame you have lost any ability to control. Without a miracle, it doesn't matter how hard you bale, or encourage other people to bale. The point of no return has been passed.
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