As the U.S. Catholic bishops gather in Baltimore to discuss controversial issues such as clerical sexual abuse and racism, some people are talking about the threat of schism. History shows that the possibility of schism is always present, but the odds against schism today are high. First, in order to have a schism, you need Read more
The publication of the “testimony” of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the former Vatican nuncio to the United States, is an unprecedented moment in modern church history—and not just because of his demand that Pope Francis resign. The eleven-page document, crafted and published by Viganò with the help of sympathetic Catholic journalists while the pope was Read more
An Italian sect that arose after alleged apparitions of the child Jesus has been found guilty of schism and has incurred an automatic excommunication. The Diocese of Sora-Cassino-Aquino-Pontecorvo made the announcement on June 5 concerning the self-styled Universal Christian Church of the New Testament. This followed an examination by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Read more
Influential church historian Diarmaid MacCulloch said he believes Christianity faces a bright future, but predicted the Roman Catholic Church will undergo a major schism over its moral and social teaching. “Christianity, the world’s largest religion, is rapidly expanding — by all indications, its future is very bright,” said MacCulloch, 60, professor of church history at Read more
Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn said he would not lead his diocese into a schism with leaders in the Vatican by letting priests flout Church rules after a group of priests issued a “Call to Disobedience” manifesto to try to press reform. The head of Vienna’s Roman Catholic community ruled out sweeping changes demanded by dissident Read more
Austrian media are making the dissident priests’ call to reform something more than it is according to Michael Pruller, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Vienna. Cardinal Schonborn is however interested in working with the dissenting Austrian priests to help bring new life to Viennese parishes, Pruller said. Pruller confirmed that despite media reports to the Read more
A highly influential abbot is of the view the divisions in the Austrian Catholic Church in Austria cannot be dampened nor the current conflict resolved by a meeting between the Archbishop of Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schonboern and representatives of dissident priests. Abbot Martin Felhofer of the Schlägl Abbey said that a threat of open schism looms Read more