Religion: Holy Church Evaluated

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When Vatican officials heard what Mr.

Martindell had in mind, "they were." he says, "both astounded and doubtful." This is not surprising, for Jackson Martindell is president of New York's American Institute of Management, a nonprofit organization formed to evaluate the efficiency of business corporations, and what he had in mind was nothing less than a management analysis of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church.

The Church of Rome, reasoned A.I.M., doubtless could teach businessmen a thing or two—and vice versa. "Standard Oil of N.J. and the Catholic Church are both producers," says retired Banker Martindell. "Standard Oil produces oil and the church produces a way of life and a way of thought, but they both have production problems. Take a missionary—it's my belief that a man who practices good management will probably save more souls than a man who doesn't.'' So, in December 1948, with the astonished acquiescence of the Vatican, Episcopalian Martindell had an audience with the Pope and went to work.

For a full year, 200 researchers worked away in Rome, swarming through the Vatican's archives and offices, codifying, correlating, questioning. They were aided by hundreds of other researchers working in 30 languages throughout the world. "The Holy See will tell you that its [success has] resulted from Divine Guidance," says A.I.M. "But, at best, this is an oversimplification. The American Institute of Management believes that the New Testament contains conclusive evidence of a requirement of good management in all Christian activities."

This week, in a 26-page "advance summary report," A.I.M. gave the Roman Catholic Church a good score for "Management Excellence": 88% *

SOCIAL FUNCTION (a score of 1,000 points out of a possible 1,000): "With some 5,000,000 workers [the church] annually educates about 20 million children and cares for an even greater number of the sick and needy of all creeds."

ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE (700 points out of a possible 800): The church's management record has been uneven. In the reign of Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590) "we see the beginning of real delegation of authority and responsibility in church affairs." Two "major" weaknesses in today's structure: "Too little provision for staff research work, the result of which would be available to bishops," and "too much line and staff responsibility . . . still vested in the Pope himself, thus cutting down the opportunity for his good health, study and spiritual leadership."

GROWTH OF FACILITIES (375 points out of 500): The church has come a long way from the year 251, when "the personnel at the Holy See comprised 99 persons . . . and churches were numbered in the hundreds. Today, there are 416,466 Catholic churches, 385,219 priests, 191,681 educational and charitable institutions." But development has been spotty. And Catholic institutions all too often are ill-housed. "The financial planning of the church has never set up depreciation reserves."