Clericalism and the four tiers of the bureaucracy
Opinion: Clericalism and the four tiers of the bureaucracyJesus doesn’t criticize the structureof the hierarchy. He objects to the abuses. https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/11/13/opinion-clericalism-and-the-four-tiers-of-the-bureaucracy/November 13, 2023 Father Jerry J. Pokorsky The Dispatch 0Print
The dismissal of Bishop Strickland as the Ordinary of the Diocese ofTyler prompts us to consider the pathology of clericalism in today’s hierarchy.In happy times, the following Four Tiers of the Bureaucracy describe the way ofthe world. In times of doctrinal disobedience, the Tiers facilitateclericalism.Jesus gives an apt description of garden variety clericalism:Thescribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; so practice and observe whateverthey tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. Theybind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but theythemselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to beseen by men; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, andthey love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues,and salutations in the market places, and being called rabbi by men. (Mt.23:2-7)Jesus doesn’t criticize the structure of the hierarchy. He objects to theabuses. The caste system found in most bureaucratic organizations helps usunderstand the mechanics of clericalism.Organizations have various managerial tiers. Tier One represents thehighest ranks. Competent Tier One executives rely on the cooperation and workof Tier Two members. Tier Two representatives are institutionally conservative,don’t make waves, rarely challenge the authority of Tier One players, andrespond cheerfully—at least in public—to Tier One policy decisions. Theysuccessfully implement organizational objectives.A much smaller number makes up Tier Three. Tier Three members also sharein the mission of Tier One. But they are edgy, opinionated, and occasionallydare to observe that the Tier One “emperor has no clothes”—at least accordingto their lights. Tier Three members may identify neglected time bombs thatcould significantly damage the organization.Most Tier Four members are incompetent, dangerously unreliable, andundermine organizational objectives. Tier Four also includes Tier Three folkswho have exceeded their edginess quota. But some may be unrecognized geniuseswith profound eccentricities that mask their value to the organizations.The Four Tier Caste system works well when the entire team, to a largeextent, consistently reaches organizational objectives. Competent Tier Oneexecutives rely on the cooperation of Tier Two members. The complaints of TierThree members may be valid, but in the grand scheme, neglecting to attend totheir concerns is not significant enough to seriously damage operations.Executives rarely consult the slightly disgruntled Tier Three but trust them tomeet the necessary organizational objectives. However, a growing Tier Three maysignal a developing revolutionary threat, for good or ill.The three Tiers systematically eliminate the organizational “poison” ofthose in the Fourth Tier with terminations and other forms of attrition.The Four Tiers become dysfunctional when organizations fail to meet theirnatural objectives. Those in Tier One “circle the wagons” to fend offcriticism, often reverting to harsh and unjust authoritarian means. Likeostriches, Tier Two “company men” bury their heads and enable the dysfunctionalbehavior of Tier One by silence just when healthy criticism is required. Theranks of Tier Three expand, to the chagrin of the first two Tiers. Anincreasing—but statistically insignificant—number realizes the dangers theorganization faces on its present course.The ranks of dangerous members of Tier Four also expand, but for thewrong reasons. The first two tiers root out perceived enemies and identify themas Tier Four. But the targets are friends of a healthy organization.Misidentified, they are organizational reformers who might have helped put theorganization on the right path.In politics, establishment politicians make up Tier One. The vastmajority of elected officials make up Tier Two. A few colorful politicians makeup Tier Three and make news by opposing conventional wisdom. Politiciansdespised by the establishment makeup Tier Four and eventually suffer defeat atthe polls. The system works well until the various forms of corruption (the“swamp”) undermine the Tier One establishment and instill a revolutionaryspirit.In the Church, during happy times, Vatican authorities comprise Tier Oneand the world’s bishops populate Tier Two. After Vatican II, many doctrinaldissidents made up Tier Three and planted long-term revolutionary seeds.Priests departing the sacred ministry made up Tier Four. In the old days, TierFour clerics populated penitential monasteries.The Four Tiers remain in place during opulence, faithlessness, and decay.During the time of Henry VIII, most English bishops rallied around the King ashis Tier Two cheerleaders. Only Bishop John Fisher objected. He dropped to TierThree and then to Tier Four before he lost his head.The Four Tiers of the contemporary Church help us understand our times.The Tier One of the Vatican has become increasingly homosexual-friendly butjealously guards the perquisites of power. Most of the bishops (and priests)are Tier Two. They do their best to “play well in the sandbox” and dutifullyrespond to Vatican disciplinary and synodal directives.Some of the bishops—including most of the German bishops—are anxious todraw the obvious conclusions of a homosexual-friendly Vatican. In their haste,they have become Tier Three members of the Church’s hierarchy, threatening todisrupt the Vatican’s controlled revolutionary process. However, there is nochance that they will drop to Tier Four, as Tier One unofficially agrees withthem.Tier Three is not uniformly homosexual activist. On the contrary, a fewbishops (and priests) have dropped to Tier Three because of their vocalorthodoxy. For example, Cardinal Mueller and Cardinal Burke are now Tier Threeprelates. Several traditional religious organizations have become Tier Three,with the Vatican putting them on notice. One misstep could render them persona non grata and land them in the Tier Four bin.Those trashed in Tier Four usually have flaws in prudence and character.Enemies magnify the flaws; friends downplay them. Like the Parable of the Wheatand the Tares, it’s hard to distinguish the martyrs from the frauds.Many bishops are hiding in the weeds of Tier Two, hoping this papacy willpass soon. But in their hearts, they are Tier Three bishops waiting for ahappier day of Tier One orthodoxy.Bishop Strickland never played the Tier Two game. His witness to Catholicorthodoxy was unabashed, vocal, and occasionally reckless. He was “Tier Threeand proud!” (to coin a slogan). He “disrupted the process” of Tier One andbecame a target for removal. He has become Tier Four, at least for the moment.His removal is a study of institutional clericalism.History demonstrates that, in extreme times, organizations rely on TiersThree and Four for candidates to save the world. General George Patton was TierFour for a significant part of the war. How would the Battle of the Bulge haveended without him?
