This did not happen to me; I was told it by another clergyman. Someone once admitted to a priest that he and his wife were using contraception. The priest clearly pointed out that it was a grave sin, and that it must be repented of if they wanted to be in a state of grace. The man responded "oh, father, don't you know everyone does it nowadays?" The priest said it does not matter who does it, wrong is wrong, and sin is sin. The man concluded with, "but everyone knows that everyone is doing it" (as though saying a second time can turn a lie into truth!).
Yeah, no. Large numbers of people doing something does not make that something acceptable. The real problem, however, is not just the moral failure. The real problem is that the man might have been right (in his point, not in his justification of sin). It might very well be correct that "everyone knows" that "everyone uses contraception". If that is really so, then what does that say about our moral resolve? What does it say about the testimony that Catholics are giving to the world? Sadly, it says that many Catholics do not live in accord with the teachings of the Church. It means that the world sees all of us as hypocrites (guilt by association!). Is that how we want the world to see us?
Few people, if any, will be drawn to convert to the Catholic faith if they think that we are all living contrary to what the Church commands. Furthermore, we are not telling the world the truth about Christ if we are living disobedient lives; we are telling the world that God does not care about our sanctification. Only when we live in accord with what He says can they see what our Lord actually says. And, furthermore, they will be drawn to conversion when they can see the truth.
So let us change things. Let us live in such a way that "no one will know" any longer that "everyone" lives contrary to the clear commands of God. What a testimony to holiness if the world would say, "Everyone knows that Catholics do what God requires". Let us seek to have the world look at us and say "look at the wonderful work of God in their lives; they are truly living in accord with the commandments of God".