why is catholicism seen in a bad light nowadays

People have hated Catholics for 2,000 years. Nothing new. I think deep down, people just hate God (even if they say they dont believe). The truth is, without God, there is a void inside and people will try to fill that with whatever they can. But since God is love, that void just becomes an empty pit of dispare and hate.

Pick up a history book

It is not a 'few bad apples' that have blackened the faith, but the dogmatism of the Church and its leaders which places deference, authority and reputation above the safety and dignity of children and women. That is completely unforgiveable.

The history of the Catholic church speaks for itself....unless they are covering up something.

As for me it has nothing to do with catholic people / priests..

It has everything to do with catholic doctrines..

It's never been about people.. ( although there are catholics who are very faulty beings)

It's about the Gospel of the LORD Jesus and believing it over the traditions of men..

It's not just a few. Sexual abuse happens at a disproportionately high level in all religious institutions. And when it happens in the Catholic church, they just move the offending priest to another district.

People sometimes just don't listen to complaints. Just look at that nurse who is charged with killing the poor babies. She got reported lots of times but nothing got done.

The overall issue isn't the revelation that the Catholic church has pedophile priests.

It's that the Catholic church used its significant power to excuse and cover up the actions of these priests...in some examples KNOWING that these guys were unrepentant child molesters, and just moving them around while shaming and blaming their accusers. That would be little kids and their families.

They got caught doing this for decades. That's a criminal conspiracy. It should be a RICO case and the Catholic church should be smashed and the money given to their victims.

Of course, most of these pedophile priests are already dead or are very old, but we're supposed to believe nothing at all has changed. There was a priest whose name showed up in one of these lawsuits a few months ago not far from me; died in 1983. Yes, dead for 40 years. Was he guilty? Who knows? He certainly can't mount a defense anymore.

Where to begin?
I will just stick with 20th century stuff.
The Pope and others remaining silent as train loads of Jews and 'others' considered undesirable, were being sent to their deaths....after all, they are just Jews, they don't accept Jesus, so burn them! Add to it, aiding war criminal Nazis to escape and provide refuge and passage to places like S. America. Covering for pedophile priests. The Vatican is its own 'untouchable' little piece of land. That is just a few.

For your reading pleasure, check out:
15 Of The Most Absurd And Unforgivable Things The Catholic Church Has Ever Done
By Lea Rose Emery.

Now, to be clear, I am not a fan of any religion. I find them very divisive. They do not unite. They use fear to keep people in line and every one is male dominate, and the female passive/submissive at the least, and slave at the extreme.

I don't think it's just the child raping that put people off . . .

[media=https://youtu.be/8ayctCub8FE]

https://similarworlds.com/christianity/4788948-Glass-churches-everywhere-Over-7-000-claims-of-sexual-abuse

Not just Catholicism but all religion in general. Thinking one has the backing of a god makes people evil. Looks like all those threats of hell and rewards of heaven do jack shit to control people's behavior.