The human structure of the Catholic Church has historically assumed the image of whatever empire it finds itself in. Under Rome, it adopted the structures of the Roman Empire. Cardinals, dioceses, provinces, holdovers from imperial governance. Under feudalism, bishops became like feudal lords.
Today’s empire is the bureaucratic nation-state, and the Church, ever adaptive, has taken on its trappings with remarkable enthusiasm. We have diocesan offices that rival mid-sized government agencies. We have policies, procedures, compliance protocols and approval processes for virtually everything. We have, God help us, endless committees. The question is whether this has made us better at our actual job.
