But the bigger point is the distinction between "professionals" and the "rest of us".
I think that Protestants generally underestimate the influence of lay-people in the Catholic Church throughout the ages. Yeah as time went by the were sort of kind of incorporated, so that, say Catherine of Siena was a thrid order or Lay Dominican. But we're (or those of us who care to be) are in the loop, if not at the top of the putative pyramid.
My longer response, which may never see the light of day, to your first post was going to address that, sort of global or attitudinal question. I'm also thinking of Ambrose's election to bishop by acclamation of das volk and, yes, of gthe Jerusakem council where I could readily see the people being polled for their opinion.
And the peristent (It seems to me) opinion of Protestants is that a bunch of guys in dresses hang around and dream stuff up to inflict on the poor innocouous lay Catholic, but I think that ignores the realities of running any eleemosynary institution or indeed of most institutions. On paper the Sheriff can do what he wants as far as who his deputies are and what they do, but if he decides (reasonably IMHO) that they ought to be in good shape and he meets with almos tuniversal resistance, that decision will find itself functionally if not officially rescinded. And the wise pastor takes the temperature of his sheep before inflicting some new change on them. There ARE a lot of unwise pastors, both real and metaphorical, but the unwise ones don't last.
I'm going to sit back and watch the "denomination" question, but I don't think it's worth a big controversy and in fact it's kind of like what we papists mean by "rite", as in "Eastern Rite"
“In all seriosity”
I’m wondering if you have any advice on how to stretch my little finger to the 6th fret of the 6th string while my index finger is on the 1st of the 6th string. Take into consideration that I have normal size hands.