Perhaps a "top-down" heirarchy was there all along, just not addressed in terms we use today.
Catholics are not congregationalists because they do not believe that authority rests in the congregation. They believe it rests in the hierachial model. In this model, authority must be held accountable. If it fails, then authority will pay the price. It is a paradigm, if you will, based on sherperding and not on sheep. References to shepherding as accountability can be found in Jeremiah and Ezekial, just two Biblical of a number of Biblical examples.
I am not in any way an intellectual with debating skills--these were not in God's life plan for me. But I do have faith and it rests in Christ Jesus and the Church He founded and that Church does not derive its authority from the congregation. If that were so, the congregation would be accountable for the authority and not the other (proper) way around.
The accounting must stop at some point at the top.
Seem to be doing fine, R.O.E.
;-o)