The Church has been under increasing attack since the early 1990s. Then, Pope John Paul II alienated non-Catholic establishments by stopping the United Nations from imposing birth control, sterilization, and abortion plans in 3rd world nations. When he couldn’t get the formerly Christian nations to stop the UN’s assault on life, he got help from the Moslem countries.
The Pope had, according to the left, committed the ultimate sin, siding with Moslems rather than with bureaucrats simply because the Moslems were more pro-life.
Since that time, the culture of death has attacked The Church with new virulence. Endless stories have appeared about priests molesting children. We began hearing far more about financial corruption in the Vatican banks, peculations from churches, and allegations of Catholic wrongdoing in every area.
God uses the scandals for His own purposes. The scandals get rid of sinners within The Church. At the same time, Scandals provide the self-righteous with excuses for leaving The Church. Scandals get the worst sinners and the most self-righteous out of The Church.
It’s how God weeds His garden.