In his first encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, Pope John Paul II declared that “every man is the way of the Church.” Christ entrusted the Church with the salvation of every person, so her mission is to walk with each man and woman and lead them to Him. He later extended this vision to the family in Gratissimus Sane: every family, too, is the way of the Church.

Yet in the last fifty years, families have been deeply shaken — by divorce, mobility, smaller households, and the sharp decline in vocations within families. With one priest often responsible for 4,000 parishioners (or more), the question is urgent: How can the Church realistically “walk with every man” and every family today?

Learning from the Military’s Hierarchy — With Caution

Years ago I compared the Church’s pastoral structure to the military’s proven chain of care. No soldier is left without a team, and every team has a leader. A simplified parallel looks like this:

Military Hierarchy vs Church Structure:

Military (#Individuals) Diocesan 

• Region/Theater (1M+) → Diocese

• Army (60k–100k) → Deanery

• Division (10k–20k) → [Parish Group]

• Brigade (2k–5k) → Parish

• Battalion (300–1k) → [Priest Group]

• Company (70–250) → [Deacon / Small Group]

• Troop (25–60) → [Small Community]

• Patrol (8–12) → [Faith-Sharing Group]

• Fire Team (4) → Prayer Partners

• Soldier (1) → Individual

[ Proposed Group ]

The goal is not to militarize the Church, but to recover the principle of subsidiarity — handling matters at the lowest, most personal level possible. This structure should exist to push authentic orthodoxy, solid catechesis, the sacraments, and reverent liturgy down the chain to every level, so that no one is left anonymous.

Subsidiarity Must Serve Both Laity and Clergy

This renewal is not only for the laity. Many priests today suffer from isolation and overwork. A healthy small-community structure would also provide priests with genuine fraternity, support, and accountability — reducing burnout and the personal struggles that can arise from carrying heavy burdens largely alone.

Small Groups Are Necessary — But Not Sufficient

Small communities and prayer groups are not a silver bullet. Without clear doctrinal formation, accountability, and a lived spirit of both subsidiarity and solidarity, they can easily become social clubs or echo chambers. The real goal is to build the inner strength and virtue in individuals and families so they can walk the path of discipleship themselves — while still being accompanied.

A Call for a Synod on Subsidiarity

The Church has held synods on the family and on youth. Perhaps the time has come for a Synod on Subsidiarity — focused especially on the sub-parish level. Such a synod could explore how to form stable small communities (20–60 people), empower deacons and trained lay leaders, involve religious orders, and create structures of care that actually reach individuals and families.

With 1.16 billion Catholics in a world of roughly 8 billion, we are still close to the apostolic ratio of one Catholic for every five or six people. If we rediscover subsidiarity ordered toward orthodoxy and communion, we could truly live out John Paul II’s vision: the Church walking with every man — and every priest — in love.