You gain the power to approve nodes to their categories and/or the front page once you attain the level of Friar. It's the way of saying "Okay, you're a big shot now here at the Monastery. You've taken the punches and contributed enough that we trust you" I approved one of my own posts to its category just to see if there was a checking system in place. I consider it utterly gauche to approve my own posts and therefore don't do it. It's hard enough to get to Friar so that no idiot bent on destruction would ever make it. :-) Therefore no check needed.

~W

(BTW, I'm suprised the two of you made Bishop and Abbot resepctively and never knew this)