Patrick Strycharz03/17/14DraftThe good, the bad and the ugly of the Catholic ChurchThe modern Catholic Church has experienced significant ups and downs over the past sixty years. Evangelism has been more difficult than ever because scandal after scandal has plagued the Church and as a result the priesthood is unattractive and the decline in the number of faithful is too great. The Church is not a political party and the Pope is not the president, so the expectations of corrupt politicians are not attributed to the clergy. Looking back to the greatest meeting of all time, Vatican II, the Church assembled a body of theologians, officials and experts in other fields to bring about a big change in the way clergy would Christify or cry Christ's message to Years later, it seems like every day a sex abuse scandal comes to light or the Vatican is questioned about its bank and whether or not secrets are being kept from the outside world. However, the Church is made up of human beings who are not infallible and the reason it has survived since Christ is due to a persistent faith and belief in consistent sacramental traditions. Every person or group of people goes through a period of instability and a phase of learning lessons. Vatican II and what followed in the Church's turbulent history reveal some of the things we might expect in the future. The Church is stuck in every direction, but past responses to similar circumstances are key to understanding the future. Vatican II is sometimes considered one of the most important meetings or councils in history, and particularly in the history of the Church. Vatican II was held for four sessions and brought together twenty-five hundred bishops...... middle of paper......meaning, but also in terms of livelihood. » Francis escapes from the Vatican each night to work to bring out the sacred vision and message of Jesus to everyone. Finally, the Church, which must remain faithful to its mission of preaching the whole truth of Christ, must continue to challenge the "cafeteria Catholics" in the United States who select only certain beliefs and practices from the "menu" of the Church doctrine and nominal Catholics in European countries such as France, have become increasingly secular and even hostile to traditional Catholic teaching. The Catholic faithful may look to the future and feel overwhelmed by the problems facing the Church. Church history reveals that the Church has always faced problems, but a unified body can overcome modern problems that distract members from the true purpose of the Church..