Schism?

As there is a lot of talk of “schism” lately, I’d like to say some short words on this.

Faithful Catholics cannot be in schism with the Pope, because the Pope is the head of the Church and they would not be in schism from the Church.

The contrary also applies: the Pope cannot be in schism from the Church, exactly because he is at her head.

It seems to me an obvious, very simple observation that the sitting Pope is a heretic. Only Sedevacantists and old superstitious people who don’t know any better deny that a Pope can be a heretic (see your favourite encyclopedia under the word “Papolatry”). All the others are quite familiar with the concept, and are well aware that the situation has presented itself several times in the past.

A heretic Pope goes against the teaching of the Church he presides whilst he keeps presiding over her. In due course, God in His wisdom will put a patch on it, and at some point sanity will be restored. God, obviously, requires that the successors of the Apostles and the Princes of the Church react to a heretic Pope, but their cowardice does not change anything in the situation we have. Facts don’t change just because an expected reaction to them is not happening.

How much damage a heretic Pope does depends on how virulent his heresies are and how long his heretical goings go on unchallenged until he kicks the bucket. In this respect, the situation looks dire. Still, I have stated many times that the direness of the situation is directly proportioned to the arrogance of the rebellion of the faithful against their Church perpetrated with Vatican II.

As the rebellion has started from the inside, it is extremely fitting that the unavoidable punishment would show a Church punished from the inside, with the same guitar-strumming “faithful” and their descendants now being given an extra dollop of the same food they so ardently desired.

Play heretical games, win heretical prizes.

But I can’t see any “schism” anywhere.