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So I guess you are talking about the same "springtime" that JPII was trying to sell before he died, like WYD (ever notice the WYD cross is not a crucifix, I guess to appease the Protestants in the name of ecumenism?), the same "springtime" John XXIII promised at V2?

The myth that is popular among certain Catholics is that things have gotten better in the last decade or so, coinciding primarily with the pontificate of John Paul II. Actually the statistics don't bear this out — in fact, the rate of decline has accelerated in some cases. Look at the number of priests.

In 1975, three years before JPII was elected, there were 58,909 priests. In 1980, two years after his election, there were 58,621, a one percent decrease from five years previously. But the pace of the decline has picked up since then — 57,317 in 1985; 53,111 in 1990; 49,947 in 1995; 45,713 in 2000; 44,874 predicted for 2005; 37,624 in 2010; and 30,992 in 2020.
• Seminarians: 17,802 in 1975; 13,226 in 1980; 11,028 in 1985; 6,233 in 1990; 5,083 in 1995; 4,719 in 2002.
• Sisters: 135,225 in 1975; 126,517 in 1980; 115,386 in 1985; 103,269 in 1990; 92,107 in 1995; 75,500 in 2002. . . .

I gotta tell you, THE SPRINGTIME IS NOT A MYTH. The surge in vocations produced by the pre-concilliar Church in the 1950s turned out to false. But the young Catholics I know considering religious life right now are hard-core, POD, and on fire with love for the Faith. They think there's way more good than bad in the Church today, and they're enthusiastically optimistic about the future.

Compare their outlook with that of "liberals." Catholic "liberals" or "progressives" routinely poll as more negative about the Church and pessimistic about the future. According to them, there are no good Bishops, no good Popes, and no good ideas coming from the Church hierarchy.

And they wonder why they don't get vocations?? Do people want to dedicate their lives to an organization they're told is broken, backwards, and heading towards a spiritual train wreck? What sane person wants to do that?

In my opinion, pessimism is also the Traditionalist's Achilles heel. Listening to an endless diatribe about everything that's wrong with the Church is not very attractive.

JOY on the other hand, IS, as evidenced by these orthodox religious congregations answering the Holy Father's call for the New Evangelization. They're young, and they're growing!

Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist
Sister Servants of the Eternal Word
Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia
Alton Franciscans
Oblates of Mary
Sisters of Life
Carmelites of the Divine Heart of Jesus
School Sisters of Christ the King
Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration
Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal
Missionaries of Charity