What has happened is that the liberals who attack all of us Christians have over-exposed themselves. We all ignored this in the 70s and 80s when they attacked our brother anglicans, but the recent move on the ELCA with the lightning striking the meeting room was a sign and the exposure of the scum ex-priests in the 90s and now (curses on them all) means that more people are aware of the leftist attack on Christianity.
We need to all stick together -- we face two attacks -- militant secularism and Islam
I dare say the two encyclicals I mentioned are note worthy and represent the Popes’ recognition of the secularization of the laity.
But has the use of contraception and abortion become less or greater amongst Catholics since those encyclicals were issued? And has the attitude of the laity become more permissive or strict in those two areas?
To issue a pastoral letter is one thing, to get anyone to follow it is quite another. I don't think any bishop or priest is willing to go to war with the membership, especially after they've been beat up by the sex abuse scandal.
The attitude of Catholics toward Manning seems to be that
“Yes, it is wrong, a sin, but......”.