Jesus beating Bad Bishops

In Luke 12, Christ gives several parables, including ones about not being greedy, suffering for His Name, and also against corrupt clergy. Is it convenient that now that the reasonable hope of universalism as a possibility is preached those in the very office of which is told will be "beaten with many stripes" should they not prepare the household of the Lord for His unexpected return? The warning applies the most to this with the most authority. This means at Judgement Day, Christ judge with the most severity Popes, then Patriarchs and Cardinals, then Archbishops, then Bishops, then monsignors, then simple priests, then deacons, and finally the laity.

Christ was fully aware, being God, that His own Church would have corrupt leaders, including Popes. Yet, despite the harshness He speaks about the clergy, He never proposes vigilante justice, or starting a new church with new clergy, as the Baptists tend to. Rather Christ seems to be saying, that if the very ones not setting the Household of the Lord in to place, the Lord Himself will come and set things straight--and punish the guilty parties in proportion to their responsibility and knowledge they possessed. The commentary of Cornelius van Lapide states the fear that the pious associate with their responsibility:

In like manner, as far as they could, SS. Gregory, Chrysostom, Ambrose, Basil, Nazianzen, Nicholas, Athanasius, shunned the office of Bishops; and in our own times Pius V., when chosen Pontiff, turned pale and almost fell into a faint. When asked the reason he frankly answered, “When I was a Religious of the Order of Benedict, I had very good hope of my salvation; when I was afterwards made a Bishop I began to have a dread about it: now that I am chosen Pontiff I almost despair of it, for how am I to give account to God for so many thousands of souls as are in this whole city, when I can scarcely answer for my own soul?” So it is in his life. Finally, the Council of Trent declares the burthen of a Bishop’s office to be one formidable to the shoulders of angels.--Lapide Commentary on Luke 12:48 

TBC