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Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp
I don't understand that. As 'those agencies' are actually run by the Catholic church how could the connection be severed?
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Change the governing documents to provide for a different way of running these agencies and sever the connection. Over time, the staffing would presumably become less Catholic.
Example - My college was, in its early days, founded and governed under the auspices of the Congregational Church, as were many of the earliest American colleges, including Harvard and Yale. In those early days, their primary function was to educate clergymen, so the connection made great sense. Over time, the educational function changed, and these schools managed to thrive when the link with the church was severed.
Hypothetically, if the Mormon church decided to sever their links with the genealogical research facilities they have established (and they are very, very good), there would be no particular reason that these facilities would necessarily cease to function. They get a lot of use from Mormons and non-Mormons alike, and could well find a way to survive and thrive.
If there is a will to continue, combined with a real societal need for the services, no reason I can see that the agenices would have to fold.