It is the world’s oldest continuous international organisation, yet the Catholic Church can hardly be described as a democratic institution. When it comes to selecting the leadership of this top-down organisation, there has been little attempt at democratic participation. Of course, there has long been a process of consultation of clergy, while various governments have attempted to encroach on the selection of bishops – especially one government right now – but future bishops, archbishops, cardinals or even popes are not expected to put forward manifestoes which Catholics (lay or otherwise) get to vote on.