The only way companies survive in the twenty-first century is by telling the truth, being transparent about how they messed up, and bringing humanity forward. Across the board skeletons are being torn out of corporate closets–freely accessible information will do that. It’s either companies embrace honesty and own their shortcomings or the market will eventually dry them out.

The Catholic Church is no exception.

It’s like the bishops didn’t get the memo: you can’t hide the truth anymore. For some reason the Church thinks it’s still acceptable to use brainwashing techniques to amass its following, and from that following extract “tithes.” That’s essentially the business plan. But guess what? People are waking up. You can’t keep us in the dark anymore.

The Church has to own its dark and horrible past–and I mean all of it. Way back, crusades and medieval corruption and sex abuse and all. From there, there may just be a way forward. But young people don’t trust large institutions, especially ones that perpetuate centuries of lying and act like we’re too stupid to notice. The current model will suffocate the Church, and with it the message of Christ.

It’s time for the Catholic Church to be transparent and to pay its fair share of retributions. That might means selling the Vatican to settle sex abuse cases. The Church has to ask itself: how is it any different than the Rich Man in Mark 10?

The truth is we don’t need buildings to learn about, honor, and love God. God doesn’t live in marble castles–God lives in our hearts.

Young people have stopped going to church, not only because of the pandemic but because the Church represents everything we cannot trust. It’s time for the Church to change how it leads us. Transparency is the only way forward.