“By clericalism I mean an elitist mindset, together with structures and patterns of behavior corresponding to it, which takes it for granted that clerics—in the Catholic context, mainly bishops and priests—are intrinsically superior to the other members of the Church and deserve automatic deference. Passivity and dependence are the laity’s lot. By no means is clericalism confined to clerics themselves. The clericalist mindset is widely shared by Catholic lay people.”

Russell Shaw, “Nothing to Hide.  Secrecy, Communication and Communion in the Catholic Church” (Anyone who knows anything about Shaw knows that he is FAR from a fuzzy-wuzzy librul!)