If there were a way to convey in a single sentence what is needed amid all the talk of schism, it would be, “Everybody calm down: Things aren’t as bad as they seem; they’re worse.”
Since Pope Francis dropped the “S-word” in response to a question from the New York Times in early September, there has been a lot of ink spilt over who the “real” schismatics are, and from what quarter a genuine threat of schism comes. The main candidates are, on the one hand, a group of mostly American malcontents said to be well-funded and organised; and, on the other, the undoubtedly well-funded and highly organised German bishops.
