CHURCH as FEDE
– ROME: TOWARDS NEW HORIZONS
As
political forms of organization changes in Europe,
the Catholic Church enters another petrine succession. If we are to believe
Michelangelo, the church has substituted for the Roman empire ever since the Roman empire collapsed. Such a representation is worth
noting if for no other reason the catholic church’s function cannot and will
not be limited to Italian royalty or substitute more worldly political
ambitions. Catholicism is beyond the demand for satisfaction of a supplement d’âme. Man is a homo religiosus and faith more often
than anything incarnates an anti-totalitarian spirit in defence of the human
persona. This is the legacy of Woytyla-Ratzinger, and it is one that is certain
to be carried onto the future. There may be other laws, regulating continuity
in the Church.
Now, all
politics is local, and a bureaucracy works most smoothly when it is invisible
to those out-side the administrative system. Management reform is often cloaked
as change in the name of management of the environment and in order to
legitimate the organization in the eyes of the be-holder rather than taking
into account the institutional history and the factors that set an institution
like the Catholic church, indeed the state of the Vatican apart. In that sense, the
Church is villy-nilly a state-within-a-state and some would argue even a
caretaker of the Roman empire, which once persecuted it, yet its organisational
set-up and administrative delivery mechanism needs to be a more streamlined one
than at present, and at the same time better reflect the Vatican’s dual nature
as both a state and a church, without denying the Vatican the right to exercise
influence behind the scenes, even as the church modernises and improves on its
operations. This includes professional sparring for the individual priest on a
more systematic basis and the accommodation and recruitment of those men and
women more skilful than others to attract followers through faith inside the
central administrative system.
For better
or worse, management reform must be thought of as a mean-to-end-deliberations under-taken
in order to fulfil three objectives: (1) Realising Policy objectives or
strategies (2) Increase Executive control (3) Improve administrative efficiency.
Only when all elements are put into prac-tice, management reforms tend to realise
its bidding. It is often in the latter area of organizational decision-making
that problems of realising policy begins, and because processes and standard
ope-rating procedures are perceived as technical it is also a good place to launch
agendas for reform. There are concerns about division-of-power, cardinal’s buy-in on the daily management of the
chur-ch and the attendant administrative nomenklatura and/or terminology. IT
can be harnessed to communicate and improve means of getting your message across,
yet IT also has structural power. And the implications of structural power have
institutional consequences, which need to be taken into consideration and
harnessed to promote organizational goals and achieve reform where they are de-sirable.
And to You, Father Jorge, who wandered up from the end of the world up the stairs
towards the Spanish
Church, to assume the
name of Francis I, I have these words: Your devotion to the Church, you’ve
already proved. You hail from a continent which is dynamic in a political, economic
and religious sense. You now assume an office with limitless power, which
carries great responsibilities yet also provide opportunities to inspire people: to hold the ethical torch highest as you
submit to those who hold political office, to share risk in social action and to challenge
the religious authority of the secularists, and to promote the Good in Life is
the most sacred duty of the papal office. As such, you cannot and will not be
reduced to a symbol. Francis I, you are the man of the moment. You’ll find it
necessary to exercise power in a daily power practice, which is humble, yet not
without ambition, even as you prepare
for all contingencies, as they arise along with the nuisances and favours,
accomplishments and debts of your friends.
Here are my points for your use and
consideration:
- An Annual Report
The Vatican has for years been mirred
in scandals and PR-disasters due to its lack of transparency and the nature of
its sources of income. It needs decisively to address issues of its finances
and to restore its reputation. An annual report could be a step in the right
direction. It has done wonders for the Royal Court in the UK, and it is
useful as an instrument to concentrate minds of administrative nature, subject
to the public’s general scrutiny. The roman Curia currently comprises Congregations, tribunals, Pontifical Councils, and Pontifical Offices & Academies. To create transparency about their output and to confer their activities with a minimum of accoutability, it is proposed to reinvent the annual report, last time issued by the Vatican at Lateran-agreement, as a management and pr-tool of the apposite executive unit, say, the dicastry of the secretary of state.
In the annual report, the question of
budgetary allocations of the entities of the Rooman Curia could similiarly be addressed,
and future plans of the organs of the Roman Curia be listed. The inventory of cultural goods belongs here, as well. The maintenance and repair policies of churches
could be addressed and agreed programmes/projects announced with their funding needs indicated. The
Key Figures of the Vatican Bank could be enumerated and its management named and the accounting standards
adhered to by both the State and Curia be listed.
Most people are not prepared to accept that such a degree of openes with do the Church any good. But think about how it might work in favour of both the Vatican and Europe, if the Roman Curia are brought into line as an organization open to its environment:
– The Congregation of the Faithful function is to.
– During the year, CorUn has chosen the following countries on these continents according to the following criteria, and acted in liasion with….
– The Pontifical Academy of Sacred Music has entered into a partnership with … …and decided to make scholarships available for the study and development of sacred music…in order to explore…the need for
– The Commission on Inter-faith Dialogue, entrusted to Cardinal ? , has launched an inter-faith dialogue with the main Christian Churches of Europe at the following levels:
A World Congress between Religions has been conducted, and a follow-up mechanism agreed to at the following levels : an topics…
The Pope celebrated a Joint Service at the Synagogue of Rome. It was decided at that occaision to establish a Commission on outstanding issues,
An Open Air Mass was conducted at Capernaum in Israel during the Pontiff’s visit to the Holy Land in conjunction to which it was agreed ….. … …to do so again along with an inter-faith conference at an interval tbd
– A Private-Public Partnership has been established between the Roman Curia and National Geographic in order to produce an action plan on biblical archaelogy. Partners to the project are: …. archaelogy outfit of the curia.
etc etc etc
2. Management Reform
The following moves appears apposite:
Staff and Advisory Provide
pope with advisors and Determine the advisory function of the Congregation of
Cardinals as more of a countervailing force on the Pope and the Papal administration.
Entrenchment Form an Executive
group of Head of roman Curia’s various organs, led on a daily basis by the State Secretary of
the Papal administration. Where relevant reassign functions to Vatican
Diplomatic Service. Consider side-lined
secretaries of state, if necessary.
Delegation Delegate decisions of an administrative nature
to Bishops where relevant. To spur true unity among churches, consider empowering parish councils and have them elect the bishops.
Agency for Education Form a Group by the Chief Librarian of Vatican Library, Cardinal and AVREP in order to provide for a
more integral and qualitative better approach.
Form a management and leadership module of
six-weeks duration, allowing leaders in the
Church access to a joyful and instructive stay at the Vatican Summer
School (1b).
Vatican Committee of Cooperation Get the various groups executing tasks in the Roman Curia to sit together around one table on a monthly basis together with management to
discuss issues of common concern.
We believe it is relevant to undertake a review of the Vatican’s relationship with the UN, and to examine how eboth existing policies and new strategies may be reinforced by additional adherence to international legalinstruments. Ask then the Cardinal President for a review.
The Vatican Bank Pope Emeritus has recently appointed a countryman to see too that order is restored to the Vatican bank. Now, reassign the bank to the Vatican, reduce the numbers of cardinals on its board and have it produce, i time, an annual report. Ask Guardia Finanza to despatch two of their peeps on administrative loan to work over the appropriate procedures at the bank. OR: Consider the Endowment-model.
Mediterranean Union Call upon the MED Union to develop a programme of Euro-MED Friendship Cities. Sign-up to it and develop the Vatican’s exchange with places such as Istanbul , Jerusalem, Hebron, Alexandria, Kairouan and Marrakesh.
3. Commissions (preparatory & policy recommending)
–
The
Role of Monasticism and Monasteries in the Church ?
–
The
Role of a New Psalm Book: Embracing Liturgy and
the wider Christian Community ?
–
The
Role of the Vatican Diplomacy ?
–
The
Role of Catholic Think-tanks and Networks ?
–
The
Role of Biblical Studies, Conferences, Festivals, Vatican
Library and Biblical Magazines ?
–
The
Role of the Clerical Advancement- and Career system
–
The Role of Women ( Roman Curia, Church-based,).
– Subjects
the faithful want to have addressed ?
4. New Technology
–
Papal
Operation ?
–
Newsletters:
Intranet/Extranet ?
–
Videos
?
–
Vatican Library ?
–
Vatican Radio ?
–
.Va
–Server Capacity : What will it take service the churches of 1bn faithful?
–
Catholic
Network Organisation: Platform for interaction for Catholics-on-the-go ?
–
Apps
( Saints, Prayers, Church Services near you, priests’ orientation etc etc) ?
Caveat: New Technology may be harnessed for the purposes of anti-personel and and anti-commonautarian purposes. It should sereve human communities, only.
5. Reappraisal
These are the issues of general concern of all people: (1) Quality in theological teachings/preaching (2) Community services (3) Engagement of the Youth.
Before deciding on reforms, and which of them are the most import, you should consider asking yourself a la Cardinal Mazarin:
1. Is the reform profitable or a nuissance to me ?
2. Will I be able to impose the reform ?
3. Does it accord with my quality ?
4. Do I have the esteem of those whom it touch ?
This then
raises the question of priorities: (1) Reinvention of Annual Report as a
management and communication tool of the Roman Curia (2) Decentralised Bishop Elections as
accountable to Cardinalem (3) Improvement of Women’s role in the Church
Horizontal
issues: ( i) New technology: (ii)
Catholic Network Organisation (CNU): Start-up kid for newbies, networking,
community services (iii) Educational & Training Reform (iv) Commission on
Clerical Advancement System
After all,
that’s what the administration is for. It works best, when the wheels are continuously
greased by a well-managed and disciplined work force. The point is, the catholic church’ crisis is not that of a lack of faith among the Catholics, but deficits in the inner workings or even an absence of good governance at the Vatican. Let’s once more unite Europe then under our division-of-labour orf old.
And so, the
Holy Father may concentrate on his religious leadership.
ILCUS
