A natural consequence of the decline of faith in the Church is that she will inevitably lose influence in the world around. The more the Church flirts with modernism and accepts compromise, the less the world cares what she has to say. The world only pays attention to Catholics when they stand distinct in the truth God proclaims. Yes, we all know that the world wants the Church to be just like it. We also know, however, that the world mocks the Church whenever she is faithful to what God has revealed to her, but as soon as the Church starts looking like the world, the world sees no reason anymore to listen to her.
There are many clerics who were ministering in the Catholic Church back in the late 60's and early 70's who genuinely thought that if the Church were just more worldly that it would finally find success (I believe they actually said they wanted the Church to be more "relevant", but we can see now that they abused that word and used it to cover up their sin). Sadly, some of them are still active today and are continuing to lead people astray. The simple test to their "experiment" is to ask what the result of their actions has been. Looking at the vast number of parishes that (mis)behaved this way, what is their status now? Those that are still following this path (and there are a few) have lost parishioners, have little commitment to the sacraments, have increased ignorance (or outright abandonment) of the faith, and are ready to close the doors. I doubt that is what they intended.
When parishes (and sometimes whole diocese's) spend a generation or two destroying any vestige of Catholicism in their people's hearts (and this has happened more often that we know; usually under the guise of "updating the Church"), we should not be surprised if the results are worldly immorality and complete confusion about what the Catholic faith actually is. There are many dioceses where the Bishop has chosen the road to restoration, and although they do not all look exactly alike, they are acknowledging that we must do something to get back on track (the Ordinariate that I am a member of, and the local diocese of Springfield/Cape Girardeau where I also serve, are two good examples--for which I thank God).
Therefore, if the world has decided it does not need to listen to the Church anymore--which is due mostly to those who chose the path of compromise--then the rest must do something to overcome this. We who want the Church to be brought back to her central place in society cannot merely sit back and wait until things "get better". When the righteous do nothing, the wicked will hold the center. We must stand out as faithful to our Catholic heritage and be a patient and faithful example of holy commitment. This means that priests and their parishes must stand fast in the faith; families must return to Catholic order and raise their children to be saints (leaving their career a distant second!); and everyone must show the world joy in Christ in spite of everything.
It is not merely a "voice at the table" that we are seeking. We are seeking to be able to testify to the glories of Christ. Husbands and fathers must be able to say no to a pay raise so that they can say yes to being with their families. Wives and mothers must be able to maintain their domestic duties and love their husbands and children. Children must grow up knowing that the most important thing in life is to love God and neighbor. Parishes must exemplify a healthy fear of God, both in their involvement with the community around as well as in the liturgy. When the world sees this (like it or hate it), they will know that we are different and that we are available when they discover they are lost and need to know how to live. That is what we call "evangelism".
