Madden Mischief

Divisions will always abound.  Today those embarrassing, exasperating splinters and splits within parties, groups and clubs are also occurring nerve-rackingly in the world’s largest Christian denomination, Catholicism. 

Typically, dissention leading to divisions or sects is caused by differences in opinions, politics and even in religious beliefs held by a discontented hardcore of traditionalists within groups.   

Recently, several U.S. bishops urged the faithful to pray for unity following the Vatican’s July 2 excommunication of adherents of the now-schismatic Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), Florida Catholic Media reported.  That society today is a sect whose numbers reportedly exceed 600,000 Catholic dissidents worldwide.

Sure, divisions are disruptive and upsetting, yet almost commonplace today.  In politics we’re seeing splits among Democrats springing from newly elected socialism advocates including a bold new mayor of America’s largest metropolis.  And not all Republicans are 100 percent behind President Trump’s agenda. In fact, some are advocating contrary views on governance and political objectives.  Also, the shifts in positions are endless.  Once a staunch critic of Trump, the late Sen. Lindsey Graham became one of his top supporters.

In the soccer world Messi is near to being canonized as a saint, and those opposed are branded sinners.  And that one recalcitrant religious society called SSPX now has caused upheaval and turmoil enough to provoke Pope Leo into taking the dramatic step of excommunicating their renegade Catholic clergy, declaring the entire society a schism.

What’s a schism?

The word schism derives from the ancient Greek word schisma, meaning “to split” or “cleave” and in religion means how not to worship God for schisms are particularly disorienting and upsetting to the mother church. This happens when a group breaks away from the established church refusing to submit to its authorities and today this is unfortunately happening in mine, the Roman Catholic Church.

Today, differences with the Pope keep springing up over governance or practices by the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) even though they share essentially the same foundational doctrines as do all Catholics yet still cling to older, more conservative forms of worship such as celebrating Mass in Latin and adhering to other more traditional religious practices.

This unfortunately has led on July 2 to the Vatican declaring SSPX officially in a state of schism following its unauthorized ordination of four new bishops, triggering their automatic excommunications. The Vatican declared the traditionalist group to be “in schism” after it consecrated the four bishops without the papal mandate.

In a bombshell move, the Vatican also declared sacraments of penance and marriage invalid if they proceeded within the society. The decree also warned clerics and lay faithful that if they adhere to the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, they risk incurring the same penalty of excommunication.

Papal Problems with SSPX

Since 1988, the split between the Vatican and SSPX has been growing since SSPX repudiated and denounced the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, particularly with respect to its advocacy for ecumenism, religious liberty, collegiality of bishops with the pope, and the Church’s understanding of, and relationship with Judaism.

The split caused a leading archbishop to implore the faithful to be aware that the ministry as exercised by SSPX is illegitimate in the life of the Roman Catholic Church, and the sacraments celebrated by its ministers are illicit. Also, their sacraments of penance and matrimony invalid.  Catholics may no longer participate in the SSPX society’s liturgical celebrations, apostolates, or other activities now considered sinful by the Vatican if undertaken with full knowledge and deliberate consent.

While change, advancements and modernization are always stumbling blocks for traditionalists, I pray somehow there will come a reconciliation and an abatement of this conflict.  To help bring that about I’ve even offered our PR firm’s services to the Vatican at no charge.  I believe we could help make Vatican and Papal announcements more newsworthy and media-enlightening about this dissention within Catholicism.  

We envision a PR campaign that would help to reunite all Catholics.  Amen.

Tom Madden is the CEO of TransMedia Group, the PR firm he founded when he left NBC.  Today his daughter Adrienne Mazzone is the firm’s president.  Madden has led many successful PR campaigns for major companies and is the author of six books and countless articles published in media nationwide.