Roman Catholicism is a sprawling, wildly diverse community of 1.2 billion people spread over every nook and cranny of the planet, and sometimes, when its fault lines and internal tensions seem especially sharp, it almost defies belief that the Church has held together as long as it has.
Theologically, of course, one would say that the agent of unity is the Holy Spirit. Sociologically and politically, however, there’s no question what keeps the Church from spinning apart: It’s the pope.
Read Full Article »