Archbishop: Inside the Power Structure of the American Catholic Church

Excellent Book

The stated purpose of this book is to describe "what the American archbishops do for a living . . . how they provide leadership . . . spend their time . . . get information . . . make decisions, and . . . communicate with their priests and people." From interviews with the leaders of 31 archdioceses, the author (a Jesuit priest) provides this information in well-organized, clearly summarized chapters. There are also accessible accounts of the selection of bishops, the relationship of the American church to the Roman papacy, the church as a bureaucracy, and the varied managerial styles of church leaders. A chart allowing visual comparison of similarities and differences among archdioceses would have been helpful, as would an index. Recommended.
- Nancy M. Laskowski, Free Lib. of Philadelphia
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.