[sphinx]

It is an old observation that the best government is a wise, benevolent monarchy. This is arguably true in religious as well as political bodies: the father of the family; the shepherd of the flock, etc. The problem is that wise, benevolent monarchies cannot reliably replicate themselves, so they give way sooner or later to misguided and abusive authority.

The Catholic Church has had a good recent run of popes, whose intellectual and theological rigor did much to form a united front with conservative Christians of all denominations. (While alienating many liberals ....) Now: well, the problem of authority is getting complicated again, and there appears to be a lot of shuffling of the hierarchy, so that the damage may be long-lasting. The jury is still out on Francis, but a lot of us are getting nervous.

The problem of authority is where the rubber meets the road.

[boatbums]

It is an old observation that the best government is a wise, benevolent monarchy.

Until the Lord Jesus Christ returns and rules and reigns over all the earth, no mere human form of it will ever be the best.