Little did I know when I prepared the post on George Weigel's book that Fr. CS would also mention the book in his latest at Chant Café: Benedict XVI: Towards a Liturgical Theology of Liberation?

There is much packed in the essay, and I need to read it again - without accepting recent theses positing the separation of the Constantinian Church from the primitive Church, might there be a more valid thesis regarding about a Constantinian temptation - the temptation to use the secular authority in a fallen world as a model of understanding Church authority? Its effect we can see not only in the West but also in parts of the Christian East? What if it is difficult to map the trappings of human Imperium (as particularly manifested in the human leadership of the ChurcH) because the analogy between human kingdoms (or empires) and the Dominion of God and we as His Pople is very weak?

We probably should not jettison everything from the Church's past in the name of returning to a more simple, apostolic state - how do we maintain a balance between respecting what we have received (including the treasures of the past) and moving forward, unencumbered by imperial pretense? Is it accurate to say that our bishops may have succumbed to imitating some of the worst excesses of those wielding temporal power in terms of fashion and ceremonial and so on? Does there need to be some sort of clean break, with the bishops focused less on competing with the secular powers and more on building up the Kingdom of God? A reconsideration of apostolic priorities?

Maybe some Orthodox observers have praised the appearance of a more humble pope in the expectation that bishop of Rome will reconsider the claims of his office. Apparently they have not seen anything in Francis's actions or motivations that would imply a criticism of their own hierarchy as well.