The longest running institution in Western Civilization is the Catholic Church. 2,000 years and 266 popes later, the "rock" of St. Peter on which Jesus himself built his Church still stands. Is it because these men are extremely intelligent and holy? Some were. But that's not the reason why we've been able to outlast whole empires and nations over two millennia. If the Church depended upon the wherewithal of her leaders to survive, we would have collapsed eons ago. The Church will endure until the end of time because Jesus simply promised it would: "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." (Matthew 16:18, from the Gospel this Sunday). It's ONLY through God's grace that we've persisted this long.