CATHOLICISM is in one of the darkest periods of its history - and the worst ever in the United States - according to a visiting priest who has just finished an international 10-part television series about the church.
Media expert Robert Barron says the sexual abuse crisis has ''undermined the church in almost every aspect of its life'', but because ''the wrong people are telling the story'' (the secular media) only the negative side emerges.
''There's always been a shadow side over the church: the Crusades, the Inquisition, the witch burnings. But that doesn't undermine the beauty and integrity of the church,'' he said.
Father Barron is in Melbourne as a Catholic evangelist, speaking to young people, churches and theological faculties, as part of a 13-day national tour.
''If you'd asked me 20 years ago about the worst time in US Catholic history, I would have said the 19th century, when they were pulling down convents and burning rectories, but the sexual abuse scandal has been worse. When you hear Catholic you hear sex abuse, paedophile, protecting abusers. Regrettably that is part of the story, but it's such a great reduction of the huge history and tradition.''
The way forward, he says, is back to basics: to simplicity, works of mercy, prayer and poverty, to faith, hope and love.
''We should be looking right now for the saints who pop up in times of crisis, as saints Francis, Dominic, Benedict and Ignatius did.''
Father Barron reaches out particularly through new media, where his YouTube videos have been seen 3.5 million times.
''The church can't assume people will stream into schools and parishes to be evangelised - we need to go get them, reach out to the general culture.''
The television series, being shown on more than 250 US channels, takes 10 ''great themes'', from Jesus, God and Mary to the church, the sacraments and the last days.
It cost $3 million to make, a big commitment given the way the sexual abuse crisis has emptied church coffers.
''I was a beggar for about two years. A lot of lay Catholics said, 'We want to get behind this because the church has been so knocked about by negative publicity, we want something uplifting'.''