All The Names: Leadership Structure Of The Catholic Church

Jack Oliver

Ms. Klein

Advanced English 9

9 April 2023

Pyramids of Power

At the bottom of the Catholic leadership structure is the priest, from there, you can become a bishop, beginning the climb up the leadership ladder of Catholicism. The Central Registry in the novel All The Names is a place where the files containing the names, birthdates, death dates, and marriage records are stored in a large Archive. The leadership of the Catholic Church is very similar to the structure of the Central Registry; they are both pyramidal, with the largest number of people doing the most basic work at the bottom of the pyramid, while at the top is a single overarching figure leading the organization. The priests of the Catholic Church fill the role of the

The resemblance is found in the hierarchical structure of both systems. Both organizations employ a pyramidal monarchy, where ultimate authority lies with the highest-ranked individual. In Catholicism, this is the pope and in the Central Registry, this is the Registrar. They also both have a broad foundation of lower-ranking members that grow larger in numbers as the rank descends. There is a more simplistic system in the Registry when compared to the Catholic Church, with only four very basic levels. “The first row of desks, parallel with the counter, is occupied by the eight clerks whose job it is to deal with the public. Behind them is a row of four desks … These desks belong to the senior clerks. Beyond the senior clerks can be seen the deputy registrars, of whom there are two. Finally, isolated and alone, as is only right and proper, sits the Registrar” (Saramago, 1). The clerks are similar to the Catholic priests, as they both deal with the public and the most basic work. The senior clerks are the bishops of the Registry because they are superior to and fewer than the clerks and priests. The deputy registrars are much like the cardinals. This is because they both act as assistants to their leader and are second-in-command. The Registrar and pope share many characteristics, for example, they both lead their organizations, with all major decisions ultimately given to them and they are

In Ancient Egypt and the Aztec empire, there was a social pyramid with the least wealthy people, the slaves, at the bottom. (“Aztec Social Structure”), and the ruler at the top. In Egypt, this was the Pharaoh (Gill and Troolin). And in the Aztec empire, this was the Tlatoani (“Aztec Political Structure”), similar to how the Central Registry has just one person at the top while there are many who are inferior to him (Saramago, 1). While this defined and stable social structure is not very common in western society today, there are still remnants of it everywhere. Almost every large civilization to ever exist has had some sort of social or economic pyramid; In capitalist societies, for example, the poor have the most grueling work with the worst living standards and the least social influence, whereas the wealthiest one percent have the most power and better living standards than anyone