[Titanites]

There was little divine about the Catholic Church in the dark ages.

I recommend you make an effort to escape your own "dark ages" and read a genuine history book instead of listening to the distortions you've been taught. Excerpted from the World Book Encyclopedia:

The Dark Ages was once used to describe the early Middle Ages, from the A.D. 400's to the 900's, and referred to a supposed lack of learning during this period. But in reality, the early Middle Ages were not completely "dark."

The advent of the Middle Ages occurred when the Germanic barbarians took over the Roman empire and destroyed their system of civilization and laws. Education and culture were all but eliminated. The system of city and state schools were destroyed.

The Church was the primary civilizing force of the early Middle Ages. It provided leadership for the people and saved western Europe from complete ignorance.

Gradually, the Church converted the barbarians to Christianity. Although the Europeans didn't honor a single ruler any longer, they did gradually begin to worship the same God. Church missionaries traveled great distances to spread the Christian faith, and they helped civilize the barbarians by introducing Roman ideas of government and justice into their lives.

The popes, bishops, and other leaders of the church took over many functions of government after the Roman emperors lost power. The church collected taxes and maintained law courts to punish criminals. Church buildings also served as hospitals for the sick, and as inns for travelers.

Two church instituitions – the cathedral and the monastery - became centers of learning in the early Middle Ages. The monks, who gave up worldly life to serve God through prayer and work, set up most of the schools in Europe.

I doesn't look to me like God abandoned the Church during this period.

[Goreknowshowtocheat]

My point was authority. While pieces of the primitive church survived, the doctrine was thoroughly Hellenized. The Catholic Church was rather heroic in surviving the dark ages even with the corruption in the leadership. (Wealthy families picking Popes etc.) I do not argue with the good that any group does and certainly the Catholics have done immense good despite the failings of some of their priests.