There IS a channel right to the top in the Church, John. Once as a chaplain to a Cat. A prison, a prisoner asked me to smuggle out a letter to the Pope. This I did, after looking up the Pope's actual address. And off it went to the Vatican.

Two months later at a clergy Deanery meeting, the Dean handed me back the very same letter and said, "Here, could you deal with that, please." From the Pope, to some Vatican office, to some overdressed office boy, back to my Bishop, onto the Dean and finally down to lil ol' me. 

Unfortunately, improving the prison food wasn't in my remit.