“We ARE already in Schism and the Faith is under attack; we must support and obey Christ’s teachings.”
or
“We are NOT in Schism. The Church is experiencing evolutionary changes which must be obeyed.”
or
“I don’t know if we are already in Schism or not. And I don’t want to think about it, read about it, or talk about it.”
That about sums up the three current views, in one form or another. For simplicity and more focus, let’s just call those three choices, in the above order, “hot, cold or lukewarm.” So, we can see where this is going. In Revelation 3:13-16 we read Christ’s words:
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. And to the angel of the church in La-odice’a write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.'”
Hot: What we seem to have is a faithful, concerned, even horrified remnant watching the unfolding of many attacks on the Deposit of the Faith, who are trying to work out how to proceed, all in fear and trembling, with uncertainty about the shepherds appointed to lead them.
Cold: Having seen the abuses of Vatican II unfold over decades, we can see that the present onslaught is progressing much faster and deeper than previous issues, revealing the roots of the demonic in this attack, against both faith and morals. An entrenched and powerful segment serves the demonic, the masonic, the lust for power, the desire to be gods in a new order. What is so different from most past attacks is that this time the thrust comes from within the Church.
Lukewarm: Because of hierarchical position, the asserted authority is entrenched and the faithful lack discretion in understanding the basis for resistance; i.e. when obedience is required, and when it is not. They lack reliable preaching from many pulpits, and choose to hide-out during the unfolding of the battle, not wanting to know or act. But the lukewarm cannot hide out for long. Choosing to take no position is untenable. The lukewarm are standing on shaky ground which is collapsing beneath them. To remain naive and unknowing about the forces unfolding is deliberate ignorance. To make no choice is, of course, to make a choice.
The verses noted above are preceded by Revelation 3:11-12: “Because you have kept My Word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth. I am coming soon; hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.”
Is it not at least the time to discern how we can live in “patient endurance” and how we can “hold fast to what [we] have?”
Taking the view that a Schism is a clear and declared condition between two factions of a religious body, I would say that we are currently in a pre-Schism state – much like a patient who is in a pre-diabetic or pre-cancerous condition: it can potentially go either way, although things definitely look bad. I frequently thank God for the ‘points of Light’ throughout the Church, few though they may be. One of them is Cardinal Gerhard Mueller’s Manifesto of Faith, which has recently been made into a breathtakingly uplifting film which can be viewed on youtube. Strongly recommend viewing!