Traditionalist critics claim that it is contrary to the Catholic belief that only the Pope has authority over other bishops.
While most executive agencies have a single director, administrator, or secretary appointed by the President of the United States, independent agencies (in the narrower sense of being outside presidential control) almost always have a commission, board, or similar collegial body consisting of five to seven members who share power over the agency.
Not overly supportive of collegiality, Staffa once declared that "supreme power over the entire flock of the faithful was entrusted to Peter and Peter alone".
Throughout its history the society has promoted collegiality amongst its members, however, as Julia Gatley has written, this history has not been without its tensions, particularly between the empiricist historians and those with a commitment to theory. (Gatley, J. 'SAHANZ: the first 50 years', in Fabrications 13, 2, May 2004, pp. 63–77.) The society is a partner organisation of the Society of Architectural Historians (USA).