History Of The Roman Catholic Church Theology Religion Essay Example
History Of The Roman Catholic Church Theology Religion Essay Example

History Of The Roman Catholic Church Theology Religion Essay Example

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  • Pages: 16 (4237 words)
  • Published: October 31, 2017
  • Type: Case Study
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According to Dick and Ellis, administrations can be categorized as either pluralistic or unitarist. The majority of administrations are pluralistic, meaning they are made up of individuals with different values and beliefs, resulting in conflict. On the other hand, some administrations claim to be unitarist, consisting of employees with the same goal and shared values, which leads to organizational harmony without conflict. The Holy See, or the Roman Catholic Church, is an example of a unitarist administration. However, recent events called 'Vatileaks' scandal contradict this perception and raise questions about the organizational nature of the Vatican. This essay aims to challenge the perception of the Vatican as solely unitarist, using the 'Vatileaks' scandal as the main reference. Additionally, research and theories on organizational misbehavior, ethics, and conflict related to the 'Vatileaks' will be utilized to support these argument

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Summary of Case Study

The term "Vatileaks" refers to a series of information leaks that occurred earlier this year. In 2012, Gianluigi Nuzzi publicly released his book "His Holiness: The Secret Papers of Benedict XVI," which contained letters addressed to Pope Benedict XVI revealing corruption and various wrongdoings within the Vatican Church. Other publishing houses also released similar sensitive information about the Vatican, causing controversy and damaging the reputation of the Holy See. These letters exposed issues such as malpractices in the Vatican bank, including tax evasion, money laundering, and connections to the Mafia and Freemasons. They also discussed attempts to cover up or use pedophilia scandals to undermine rival clergy, papal assassination plots, and power struggles among Vatican officials. Additionally, a letter from Archbishop Vigano to the Pope gained public interest, as Vigano pleaded not to be transferred

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after exposing fraud and misconduct within the Vatican. Amidst all this controversy, the Vatican launched an investigation that implicated Paolo Gabrielle, the Papal butler, as the main source of leaks, with assistance from Claudio Sciarpelletti, a Vatican computer technician.Furthermore, the CEO of the Vatican bank, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, involuntarily steps down after being accused in connection with leaked information. Gabriele, who stole confidential papers, is detained by Vatican security and later faces trial where he admits his motive was to bring transparency to the church. While he claims to have acted alone, there is suspicion of involvement by up to 20 other Vatican members. Gabriele is ultimately sentenced to 3 years in prison, but the Pope intervenes and reduces the sentence to 18 months.

In addition, the relationship between faith and unity in the Church is an important concept. This idea is supported by various academic research and theories, including Emile Durkheim's work in his 1912 book, "The Elementary Forms of Religious Life." Durkheim demonstrates that religion serves as a source of social cohesion and collective identity, with individuals following a specific set of values and beliefs that also provide moral guidance. It is believed that adherence to these values ensures harmony within the collective. In the Roman Catholic Church, deviation from strict rules and norms can result in exclusion. This includes conflicts both physical and non-physical, as the Bible serves as a form of corporate code that strictly prohibits such actions.The Catholic Church disapproves of conflict and emphasizes devotion to God, which entails belief in His values, morals, and practices. The Vatican's organizational culture is influenced primarily by faith and tradition, which is supposed to

lead to unity. This unity is evident in the church's practices, characterized by established rules and protocols that have been reinforced through years of uniform training in monasteries. Over time, there have been few changes to the hierarchical structure of the clergy, resulting in little differentiation in terms of appropriate behavior and roles within the church. Furthermore, the Roman Catholic Church has taken precautions to prevent threats such as money or power from disrupting their harmonious organizational culture. For instance, employees of the Vatican church, including priests, receive low wages, ensuring that their motives for joining are not financially driven and deflecting arguments about bureaucracy. Additionally, power is considered insignificant within the Vatican since bishops, archbishops, priests, and cardinals are primarily distinguished by their tasks and all share an equal level of responsibility within the church. While the Curia holds more authority in terms of management duties, it is maintained that this authority is not exercised negatively.Given all of the above mentioned information, it would be reasonable to classify the Roman Catholic Church as a Unitary Administration. Pluralism is present in the church, as it is founded on shared values and beliefs. However, unitarist administrations, like the Catholic Church, also exhibit this same characteristic, which promotes social coherence. It is therefore logical to assume that the Holy See would follow a unitary approach. This aligns with the Bible's condemnation of conflict, which is similar to unitarism since it aims to eliminate conflict. However, it is important to acknowledge that humans are inherently selfish, as indicated by Freud. Regardless of one's commitment to collective beliefs, individuals will always have differing opinions on certain issues, which leads

to conflict. According to Dick and Ellis, this conflict is inevitable and is actually a defining feature of pluralism. Clairmont also supports this idea by attributing conflicting goals and opinions as a cause of conflict, especially when individuals involved have assertive and aggressive personalities. Nicotera states that misconduct arises when there are competing interests (conflict) in a competitive environment, such as the Vatican, where neither party is willing to submit to the other. The leaked confidential documents provide evidence of widespread conflict through the various malpractices described in the leaked papers.Money Laundering, Recurrent Paedophilia, Power Struggles, and Assignment efforts are just a few examples of misconduct that can occur within an organization. Research from Robinson and Bennett (1995) suggests that there are two sides to workplace deviance: Organizational and Interpersonal. The cause of the deviance may not necessarily be power struggles if it stems from defective organizational aspects such as structure. However, interpersonal conflicts, which are essential to pluralism, can be a significant factor. The Vatileaks scandal, Tax evasion cases, Whistleblowing incidents, Assassination plots, and money laundering activities can be categorized as either political deviance or personal aggression. These types of deviance can be attributed to interpersonal issues such as conflicting values, interests, and goals, which are typical of a pluralistic organization. The only contradiction to this may be Gabriele's whistleblowing. Despite this contradiction, the model (Fig.2) still presents a contradiction in the context of workplace deviance within an organization.

Whistleblowing

The act of Paolo Gabriele, who stole confidential paperss from colleagues and the Vatican, falls into both the organizational and interpersonal categories. Determining which category it belongs to using personal discretion would be subjective and likely

inaccurate. However, this model has been criticized for being too vague, so it will not be used to classify the leak of documents. Instead, previous theories will be used to determine whether this act should be classified as theft or whistleblowing, and then analyze the motive behind it.

It is important to note that the Vatican has a greater responsibility to be an ethical organization rather than a profit-driven business due to its religious foundations. Therefore, generic models used for typical profit-motivated businesses, such as the minimalist consequentialist model, are not as applicable in the Vatileaks case. Instead, the use of ethical models is more appropriate in deciding whether the Papal pantryman committed theft or whistleblowing. Clairemont (2011) identified three prominent whistleblowing classification models which are detailed below.De George's Harm theory, Davis' complicity theoretical account, and Brenkert's unity theory all provide strong evidence that the administration is engaging in illegal activity.

The administration's involvement in moral malpractice does not pose a threat to the safety of the public.

Both illegal activity and/or moral malpractice are present.

The information regarding the company's activities carries a potential risk to the general public, and whistleblowing will prevent any harm to occur.

The perpetrator is an intentional employee of the company.

This is dependent on the proximity to the situation and how closely one's role relates to the malpractice. The perpetrator has informed their manager about the malpractice.

The information was obtained passively rather than actively, such as through observation.

Whether to take action or not depends on an individual's values, feelings, and beliefs.

The perpetrator has informed a higher-ranking authority in the

company about the malpractice.

They are convinced that their actions/role will support the malpractice, resulting in their silence.

Whether or not they take action depends on how it will impact their other responsibilities, such as their family. Fig.2* . Source: adapted from Clairmont, (2011) *The statements that appear in bold are those that Gabriele's act applies to. The highlighted column represents the theoretical model that best aligns with Gabriele's act of whistleblowing. Fig.3 illustrates the characteristics and requirements of each theory regarding an act being classified as whistleblowing and its ethical implications.Davis' Complicity theory is the most relevant to the Vatileaks scandal when compared to De George's harm theory and Brenkert's unity theory. According to the Complicity model, each requirement is fulfilled by Gabriele's actions. The Vatican was involved in illegal activities, including racketeering and assassination plots. Gabriele, as an employee (the papal butler), discovered wrongdoing and decided to break the Vatican's code of silence, known as "Omerta". This act of whistleblowing aligns perfectly with the Complicity model. It is unclear how Gabriele obtained the information, but it is possible that Claudio Sciarpelletti, a computer technician, assisted him. It is also possible that other members, operating under the codename "Maria", worked together to release sensitive information. Regardless of the exact methods used, Gabriele qualifies as a whistleblower according to the Complicity model.The text suggests that the classification of whistleblowing in Figure 1.1 is inaccurate as it depicts it solely as an organizational issue. However, whistleblowing is not only damaging to the company but also an interpersonal issue. The Vatican experienced significant financial losses due to leaked documents. Figure 2 is a more

appropriate model for studying whistleblowing as it recognizes the influence of various factors on the decision to blow the whistle. Gabriele's disapproval of the church's misconduct and his personal beliefs played a crucial role in his motivation to leak the church's secrets.The Vatileaks whistleblowing originated from a struggle within the church, specifically involving Gabriele's AIDS and conflicts between those upholding the church's sanctity (Gabriele, Sciarpelletti, and others referred to as 'Maria') and other members or groups with hidden motives. This type of discord is common in hierarchical systems and can be linked to power struggles within an administration that emphasizes pluralism. The leaked details of a plot to assassinate the Catholic Pope further demonstrate power battles and a vengeful act against authority through criminal behavior. This situation reveals interpersonal and intergroup conflict within a competitive environment involving individuals with aggressive personalities. Specifically, it highlights power struggles within the Roman Catholic Church that exist due to pluralism. In contrast, racketeering, although not necessarily caused by conflict, is closely associated with it. Unlike whistleblowing, racketeering is recognized as a source of conflict. The article alleges that the Vatican bank had connections with the Mafia and Freemasons and engaged in criminal activities. This raises concerns regarding ethics and organizational misconduct since the Bible condemns pagan worship and those who associate with them. Therefore, engaging in financial transactions with the Freemasons is considered sacrilegious.However, the Vatican bank jeopardized its reputation by associating itself with controversial administrations, which can be seen as a form of sabotage. Nevertheless, one could argue that this functional aberration is beneficial because it generates revenue and can be debated as ethically acceptable from a narcissistic

moral standpoint. However, when this was revealed to the public through the Vatileaks scandal, it resulted in a loss of support and financial contributions, upon which the Vatican relies heavily. Specifically, the leaked papers revealed embezzlement in the Vatican's budget for its birth scene, where only $400,000 out of $700,000 was necessary for its operation (Popham & Nadeau, 2012). According to Popham & Nadeau (2012), the Vatican's "grossly hyperbolic budget" highlights their strong interest in money. This implies that either the Vatican as a whole or certain individuals within it are motivated by profit. Considering theories from Dick & Ellis (2006), this creates two levels of conflict. Interpersonally, there will be clashes between clergy members who adhere strictly to biblical teachings and are wary of capitalist inclinations and those who lean towards such inclinations, thus resulting in a breakdown of unity (Cosman, 2001). Second, there is also intrapersonal conflict within individuals within the church who may strive to uphold Catholicism and reject corruption but find themselves tempted by the lure of profits and illicit gains from racketeering.According to Freud's (1927) Structural model of the mind, when an individual's selfish side (capitalistic inclinations) conflicts with their moral side (divine religion, rejection of mercenary things), the dominant side known as the 'Superego' will determine the behavior and outcome of the individual's ego, the Id. However, when there is no dominant side, it leads to confusion for the individual, resulting in high stress levels and antisocial behavior. In particular, money laundering, tax evasion, and covering up illegal activity are especially problematic if they occur at the top of a hierarchy. Mayer et al. (2009) suggests that a leader's

actions directly influence their subordinates, who will imitate them in order to gain favor. If this trickle-down effect occurs, it will impact the organizational culture of the Vatican and normalize misconduct, especially for new employees. This exacerbates the issue of conflicting interests as not all subordinates will mimic their leader, causing division within the workforce. Based on the aforementioned research and theory, it is evident that conflict often arises from differing perspectives, values, beliefs, and power struggles within a hierarchy. Moreover, it manifests as organizational misbehavior in a competitive environment due to competing interests.The level of organizational malpractice, such as Racketeering and Gabriele's Whistleblowing, currently present in the Roman Catholic Church suggests that there is a significant amount of conflict within the organization. Despite attempts to appear united, it can be argued that the Vatican is actually a pluralist institution. Some experts, like Farnham (1993), believe that conflict can be beneficial if acknowledged and effectively managed within an organization. However, it is unlikely that the Roman Catholic Church will embrace this approach, as it would mean relinquishing their identity as a unified entity and compromising their reputation as a harmonious organization. References: - Butler, M., Rose, E. (2011) Introduction to Organisational Behaviour. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. (Conflict and Stress in Organisations, Alf Crossman) - Champoux, J. (1996) Organisational Behavior: Integrating Persons, Groups and Processes. New York: West Printing Company. - Clairmont, A. (2011) Indecent Disclosures: Whistleblower Ethics, Consequentialism, and Wikileaks. Location, Publisher. Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.sewanee.edu/philosophy/Capstone/2011/clairmont.pdf [ Accessed on: 3/12/2012 ] - Dick, P., Ellis, S. (2006) Introduction to Organizational Behaviour. 3rd ed. Berkshire, UK: McGraw-Hill Education. - Durkheim, E.

(1912) The Elementary Forms Of Religion Life.Translated by Cosman, C. , Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Freud, S. ( 1927 ) The Ego and the Id London: Hogarth Press and Institute of Psycho-Analysis.( Tr.Joan Riviere.)
Mayer, D.M. , Kuenzi, M. , Greenbaum, R. , Bardes, M. , Salvador, R. ( B. ) .( 2009 ) How low does ethical leading flow?Test of trickle-down theoretical account.Volume 108, Issue 1.Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749597808000551 [ Accessed on: 23/11/2012 ]
Near, P. J. , Miceli, P. M. ( 1992 ) Blowing the Whistle: Deductions for Companies and Employees.New York: Lexington Books.
NDTV. ( 2012 ) Vatileaks ' : A sub-rosa expression at Vatican political relations.NDTV. Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.ndtv.com/article/world/vatileaks-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-vatican-politics-274552 [ Accessed on: 17/11/2012 ]
Popham, P. , Nadeau, L. B ( 2012 ) Vatileaks Scandal Exposes Secrets Of Pope 's Empire.World News.Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/07/08/vatileaks-scandal-exposes-secrets-of-pope-s-empire.html [ Accessed on: 17/11/2012 ]
Robbins, S. ( 1990 ) Organisation Theory.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall International.
Robinson, S L. Bennett, R J. ( 1995 ) A Typology of Deviant Workplace Behaviours: A Multidimensional Scaling Study.Vol 38, No 2.Academy of Management.Available at: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/256693?uid=3738032 &A ;uid=2129 &

The following texts are related to various sources and subjects, including translations by Cosman, C., Oxford: Oxford University Press, Sigmund Freud's The Ego and the Id published by Hogarth Press and Institute of Psycho-Analysis, a study on ethical leadership by Mayer, D.M., Kuenzi, M., Greenbaum, R., Bardes, M., Salvador, R. (B.), a book on the consequences of blowing the whistle by Near, P.J., Miceli, P.M., an article about the Vatileaks scandal by NDTV, another article about the same scandal by Popham,

P., Nadeau, L.B., a book on organization theory by Robbins, S., and a study on deviant workplace behaviors by Robinson, S.L. and Bennett, R.J.The href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/article-70472-Key-dates-in-the-Vatileaks-affair" News (2012) provides information on key dates in the Vatileaks matter. The article can be accessed at href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/article-70472-Key-dates-in-the-Vatileaks-affair". This article is referenced in the bolded section of the reference section.

Furthermore, Santibhasker, P. (2005) discusses corporate culture and whistleblowing in Pittsburgh. The article can be accessed at href="https://www2.pittstate.edu/reuret/Ethics2005/praneetha05ethics.pdf". This article is also referenced in the bolded section of the reference section.

Skarlicki, D P. Folger, R. (1997) explores retaliation in the workplace and the roles of distributive, procedural, and interactive justice. The article can be found at href="https://www.personal.psu.edu/krm10/PSY597SP07/Week%2015%20readings/Skarlicki%20&%20Folger%20(1997).pdf". This article is also referenced in the bolded section of the reference section.

Figure 1 in this paper is based on a study by Robinson, S L. Bennett, R J. (1995) on a typology of deviant workplace behaviors. The study can be accessed at href="https://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/256693?uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=2134&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21101428994043". This figure is also referenced in the bolded section of the reference section.

Figure 2 is adapted from Clairmont, A. (2011) and discusses whistleblower ethics, consequentialism, and Wikileaks. The location and publisher of this work are not specified.The text discusses the availability of a document at a specific URL and provides information about the figure, including the authors and publication details. It also mentions that encrypted documents and confidential information marked for destruction by the Pope were seized by Vatican police during a raid on his pantryman's apartment. The raid was conducted based on suspicions that the pantryman had leaked sensitive information to an Italian journalist, who later published it in a book.Mr Gabriele's involvement in secret services, espionage, and

the supernatural, as well as his involvement in scandals involving the Vatican bank and the P2, a mysterious Masonic Lodge with influential Italian politicians as members, was revealed in the extensive collection of documents. These encoded papers were sent from the Vatican Secretariat of State to papal ambassadors around the world. Many of the documents were signed by Benedict XVI and provided insight into his correspondence with cardinals and other high-ranking figures within the Roman Catholic Church. Some of these documents were originals while others were photocopies made by Mr Gabriele in his Vatican office. Stefano De Santis, one of the gendarmes involved in the search, stated that there were documents where the Pope had written "to be destroyed" in German. The extensive collection of documents also referenced the death of Roberto Calvi, known as "God's banker," who was found dead beneath Blackfriars Bridge in London in 1982. In addition to these documents, Mr Gabriele had also downloaded instructions on disguising his mobile phone number and sending jpeg files via email from the internet. During his trial, four Vatican gendarmes testified that they seized over 50 boxes of evidence during their search, including USB memory devices, computers, and an iPad.Inspector Silvano Carli, one of the gendarmes, revealed that Mr Gabriele had hidden numerous papers in the survey and life room of his shared flat with his family. These sensitive documents were cleverly concealed among the piles of downloaded materials from the internet. Carli stated that more than a thousand of these papers directly related to the investigation of the unprecedented thefts from the Pope's apartments. Another gendarme officer, Luca Cintia, refuted Gabriele's allegations of mistreatment

during his detention. Cintia claimed that they had treated him with care, to the extent that Gabriele even expressed gratitude towards them. However, on Tuesday, the judge presiding over the trial ordered Vatican prosecutors to investigate these abuse claims, which allegedly occurred at the beginning of Gabriele's 53-day detention without charge at the Gendarmerie's barracks. The trial was adjourned until Saturday, when a panel of three judges will deliver their verdict. Gabriele is facing charges of aggravated theft, carrying a maximum prison sentence of four years. The Vatican hopes to conclude the trial before Sunday, when a gathering of 200 bishops from around the world is scheduled to begin.The Synod, which was established by Pope Paul VI, meets every two to three years to advise the Pope on Church affairs. This year's meeting will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, another reason why the Vatican is eager to put an end to the butler's trial. Appendix 2 In Newsweek Magazine Vatileaks Scandal Exposes Secrets Of Pope's Empire Jul 9, 2012 1:00 AM EDT A series of leaks have exposed chaos at the heart of the Pope's empire. Pope Benedict XVI begins his day in his apostolic flat on the 3rd floor of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. He wakes up between 6:30 and 6:45 a.m., then proceeds to his private chapel where he celebrates the first mass of the day at 7:30. After some private prayer time in the chapel, around 8:30 he joins his personal secretary, Msgr. Georg Ganswein, and a small group of his closest associates for breakfast. The Pope's breakfast consists of decaffeinated coffee, bread with butter and jam,

and occasionally a piece of prostitute. These details have become known due to leaks from the Vatican. For centuries, the Vatican has been one of the most secretive organizations in the world, with a code of honor comparable to that of the Sicilian Mafia. However, in the past six months, it has been exposed from within.A flood of highly confidential letters addressed to the Catholic Pope and his closest associates, many originally written in code, has been released to the Italian media and compiled into a book called "A Sua SantitaA" by Gianluigi Nuzzi. This book quickly became a bestseller. These leaked letters are just one of several scandals that have rocked the Vatican this year. In early June, the head of the Vatican bank was removed from his position after possessing documents that appeared to show the Church violating European money-laundering laws. In an effort to combat the negative publicity, the Vatican has hired a former Fox News journalist, who is also a member of Opus Dei, as one of its official PR spokespersons. However, there are serious doubts about whether the Catholic Pope and the Vatican can regain their credibility. The main target of these damaging leaks is Tarcisio Bertone, the 77-year-old Secretary of State for the Vatican, who is one of the most important and influential figures within the organization apart from the Pope himself. The Vatican has strongly condemned these leaks and the individual responsible for them - the Pope's butler - may face significant jail time. However, if the goal of these leaks is to discredit Cardinal Bertone, they may ultimately succeed.Bertone's name appears repeatedly in secret messages as he

schemes to remove various challengers, including the editor of the bishops' newspaper and the man sent to fix the Vatican's finances. Despite rejecting Bertone's offer to resign in June, many now believe that his time is limited. Although he may continue on until 2013, the leaked information has had damaging effects. When Benedict became Pope in 2005, he could not have predicted such troubling events. Prior to his election, Benedict lived a modest life near St.Peter's, with two cats and a grand piano that he played to relax. He was known as Pope John Paul II's trusted ally on theological matters. After John Paul II's death, retirement seemed likely, but instead he became Pope in April 2005 and gained instant worldwide fame. From then on, his every action and statement became news. He expected privacy within his new home in the Apostolic Palace, but someone within his circle had other plans. The Vatican, which was once known for its secretive nature, has now become transparent."Following the passing of Karol Wojtyla, commonly known as John Paul II, I began collecting copies of certain documents that I obtained throughout my professional work," stated the anonymous author of the leaks. The speaker chose to remain anonymous and adopted the pseudonym "Maria" for confidentiality reasons. Maria, along with others, had revolted against a long-standing tradition of secrecy. "I started doing this regularly in the early years," Maria continued."

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