Power, Preferment, and Patronage: An Exploratory Study of Catholic Bishops and Social Networks

Social Network Analysis (SNA) has shed light on cultures where the influence of patronage, preferment, and reciprocal obligations are traditionally important. We argue here that episcopal appointments, culture, governance within Catholic Church ideal topics for SNA interrogation. This paper presents preliminary findings, using original network data Bishops’ Conference England Wales United States Bishops. These show how a network-informed approach may help with urgent task understanding ecclesiastical in which sexual abuse occurs, and/or is enabled, ignored, covered up. Particular reference made to Theodore McCarrick, former DC Archbishop recently “dismissed from clerical state”, Michael Bransfield, Bishop Emeritus Wheeling-Charleston. Commentators naturally use terms such as “protégé”, “clique”, “network”, “kingmaker” when discussing both McCarrick Bransfield affairs, church politics more generally: precisely folk-descriptions social political life designed quantify explain.