But you have to admit the Catholic Church has changed a lot since the Middle Ages. If it were still the same as it was, Pope Francis would endorse burning me at the stake.
Yes and no. The teachings of the Church haven’t changed, although new understandings have developed. The attitudes of people have changed. Different doctrines have been emphasized due to cultural influences. However, if you look at the saints, they are actually quite similar in the way they think and act no matter what the time period is. The Catholic Church calls for us to pursue an ideal. The ideal doesn’t change, but the ways people fail to achieve it do.