Proper ventilation is necessary in order to address water vapor that cannot be blocked to allow it to escape rather than allowing it to accumulate until it causes problems.
Cathedral ceiling attic ventilation.
Reduce under roof insulation level to 3 fiberglass r 11 under the cathedral ceiling not good energy savings not recommended but functional just poor insulation value.
Bliss points out in the original q a on cathedral ceiling ventilation the risk of forming a vapor barrier sandwich around fiberglass ceiling insulation foil faced insulation above and poly vapor barrier below is that any moisture entering the insulation will be trapped risking future mold or rot problems.
Here are some older home cathedral ceiling roof insulation and ventilation options that you may consider.
Each slope of the roof is divided roughly in thirds by 3 different situations.
Even with the attic bypasses sealed and effective vapor retarders installed proper ventilation is essential to prevent moisture problems in cathedral ceilings.
Cathedral vaulted or any ceiling that has insulation blocking the airflow from the soffit vents to the attic needs an attic baffle in each rafter bay.
As much as regular attic ventilation is an important part of your house maintenance routine and usually easy to perform cathedral ceiling ventilation maintenance might be difficult or even impossible to do.