"Seems like most knowledgeable Catholics are self-taught. Kind of a sad commentary, isn't it?"
Sad and aggravating! Especially when you bump up against someone with no respect for anything pre-conciliar...as if they invented the whole shabang in the 60's. We know that the essentials haven't changed so why can't someone reach back and refer to an earlier "classic" like the Baltimore Catechism. You can't even reference it now in a CCD class.
agreed...it sounds as though he(Aquinas) thee and me are all in the same situation. There isn't anything negative about one pursuing knowledge about our Faith as an individual, but there sure as heck is something wrong when it is a necessity because the Bishops have abandoned their duties to Teach and Rule.
It seems one must go to an Indult Mass to hear a sermon basd upon orthodox exegesis and having that connected to some doctrinal points.
The Catechism of The Council of Trent had it ALL laid out for every sunday of the year and all priests were expected to follow it in their preaching. Of course they could express the truth through their own unique knowledge, experiences, personalities etc.
I have no idea what the future holds but my family's motto "It is always darkest before the storm," suggests it isn't going to be pretty.
I fear a continual decline (absent some VERY bright spots, such as the FSSP) and I wonder if we aren't modern Laodicea.