The Pope is overrated as a spiritual leader. Even if he likes you, he won’t do anything for you. If he doesn’t like you, he’ll still do nothing, plus complain. A lot. Bishops can be a headache, too. If a Bishop likes you more than the Pope, he will pay you taxes. This almost never happens: instead the Bishop will ship the tax monies you worked so hard to exploit from the peasants off to the Pope. Who’ll just waste it on the finger-relics of St. John. I think he has 15 now. Continue reading →