In my own diocese (Arlington) under our previous bishop, the chancery occupied two stories (out of six) in a building adjacent to the cathedral. It now fills most of the building. One wonders whether all the bureaucracy really contributes to the growth of the faith or is it just one more example of the Church imitating the secular world to the detriment of the faith? The principle of subsidiarity says issues should be solved at the lowest level possible, in other words, a bottoms up approach (with regard to administration, not doctrine). But huge chanceries increase the top down style of administration and governance and that ain't the way it's supposed to be!
The only good thing about the economic problems in the Church is that it's causing the bureaucracy to shrink. May the USCCB which is filled with radical leftists working against the faith shrink to nothing!
Whispers in the Loggia reports on chancery layoffs:
As the latest national figures report unemployment approaching the 2 million mark, the economic downturn has begun hitting the chanceries: layoffs were recently announced in the archdioceses of St Louis (25 positions -- 6% of its central work-force) and the diocese of Yakima, where half its 32 chancery posts will be eliminated.
$1.3 million deficit in Oakland diocese likely to result in chancery layoffs
Catholic Charities, which in many ways isn't Catholic at all, is also laying off. One hopes that a poorer Church will be a more faithful one. Love of money is the root of all evils and sadly there's been plenty of evidence over the years that some churchmen were more interested in doing the will of the almighty dollar than the will of Almighty God! Let's pray for a change. That's a change all faithful Catholics can hope for.
And that's the other silver lining of the terrible priest sexual abuse scandal...it further drains certain bloated chanceries of their filthy lucre they use to promote dubious causes, like the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.
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