In chapter 24 of The Mayor of Casterbridge…
Lucetta lays out her paralyzing dilemma.
She wants Elizabeth-Jane to solve the problem for her.
But the young lady says,
‘I cannot answer,’ said Elizabeth-Jane thoughtfully. ‘It is so difficult. It wants a Pope to settle that!’
Father Mark White Blog 
Father Mark,
In the panoply of the last two milenia: how many issues have been really “settled” by papal intervention? Googling indicates there’ve been some; but the Wikipedia account, beginning with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_papacy_(1048%E2%80%931257) doesn’t seem to indicate much. It does seem to indicate that the Church began to become more involved in secular life in the Avignon Papacy; and, certainly, the resolution of the Avignon-vs.-Roman Papacy issue was one viatl papal resolution of an issue. The Counter-Reformation MIGHT be yet another — at least in the sense of agreeing to disagree. The Treaty of Tordesillas, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tordesillas , had a strong Papal influence in its making.
I think: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-l-TI0qBYw puts a human face on recent history.
Great question; I wonder if Lucetta ever got her answer.
In God we trust.
LIH,
joe