Is Pope Francis steering the Catholic Church towards SCHISM?

One of the most proud, defining aspects of the Roman Catholic Church is its heritage of apostolic succession, the unbroken line of popes and bishops to St. Peter the Apostle of Christ, and first pope. The uniformity of the Church is a tremendous strength, however recent moves by Pope Francis could be threatening that unity, some Catholics warn.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - As the morality of the world changes, the Church must remain firm in teaching the Gospel of Christ. Occasionally, the world moves away from these teachings and it is the role of the Church to remind people that God's word isn't subject to popular opinion.

Despite this sometimes difficult reality, people can and do differ with the Church so much, they break away from the fold. Several tiny schisms have occurred in the Catholic Church over important points of doctrine. While these schisms have been small, often including just a few hundred or thousand individuals, they still harm the unity of the Church. More importantly, sins can be committed on both sides over divisive issues.

Pray for our holy mother Church!

There are no Catholics who like the notion of schism, however conservative Catholics in particular have voiced concern over Pope Francis' comments on a number of occasions, particularly when it comes to issues such as homosexual behavior and remarried Catholics.

Conservative Catholics are worried that Pope Francis will somehow corrupt the Church by softening the official position on these issues and others, fundamentally changing the institution from what they believe it should be.

These fears are rooted in a lack of understanding. Pope Francis can and should talk about how we provide pastoral care to people who struggle with same-sex attraction, divorce, and those who remarry despite Church doctrine. These people still enjoy the enduring love and mercy of God and require pastoral care to ensure they deepen their relationship and understanding with the Church and God. Providing care and ministering to these people does not mean the Church condones all of their choices, it simply means the Church is serving people as tasked by Christ.

Additionally, Pope Francis does not enjoy the sweeping authority that many seem to assume. Although popes are rarely challenged, they cannot simply rewrite the laws of the Church to suit themselves, after all the law is given by God, not the pope.

However, Popes can be influential and they can promote some changes within the context of their mission.

Another point people should be reminded of is that they themselves do not have the authority to form churches onto themselves. This is the essence of the Protestant Reformation and it has created great chaos in Christendom. Fortunately, some of that chaos, which initially gave way to conflict has now given way to ecumenical discussion and even reunion, but the process is traumatic and should be avoided by reasonable people.

Despite these facts and warnings, some experts have warned that conservative fears over Pope Francis could lead to a schism within the Church. Such schisms have happened before.

The likelihood of a schism remains low and it is unlikely that any bishop or priest would dare to initiate such a splintering of the Mother Church which works so hard to care for her entire flock. The best advice is for people to slow down and to avoid the media hype, which commonly gets Pope Francis wrong on a number of issues. Instead, people should listen to the Church itself, read their catechism, and pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which will not permit the Gates of Hell to prevail against the Church.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'