During Mass at the Temple of Divine Providence on March 13, 2023, a young priest wanted to help Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz descend the stairs. He extended his hand toward him. The cardinal apparently did not want assistance. Instead of thanking him politely and graciously, he unequivocally rejected the offer. The entire situation was recorded by a camera broadcasting the Mass online.
In the opinion of the young priests we spoke to, such behavior by the cardinal is typical of older members of the clergy. They often assert their superiority over young priests. Parish priests, for example, decide on the incomes of vicars, and young priests are rarely treated as equals of the others in any parish.
The Catholic Church is a feudal system, meaning that it is governed by a hierarchy. There is no democracy; the bishop decides everything. Below him are parish priests, with vicars and seminarians at the very bottom.