Accountability And Leadership In The Catholic Church

The Catholic church is many things: a sign and instrument of Christ; a gathering of flawed human beings; a mystery. It is, in some ways, unlike any other organization in the world; yet it is, nevertheless, an organization: as St John Henry Newman observed, “it has developed according to the laws under which combinations of men develop.” Over the past century, a body of knowledge has emerged concerning how to create “healthy”, effective organizations. This volume innovatively applies this knowledge to the church, identifying ways in which its organizational life needs to improve. One fundamental problem considered here is that there is a “gap” in leadership above the bishops: about 6,000 people report to the pope, which is unworkable, with the result that the curia (which is largely unaccountable) illegitimately moves into that gap, and tries to run the church. The book proposes a new role for cardinals, to remedy this, and outlines a new structure for the curia, reorienting it towards its proper functions. Things can, and should, change, if the church is to show the world the light within it.