An Inevitable Scattering of the Flock

Faced with such a disaster, as we can easily understand, Christ’s flock was scattered. “I will strike the shepherd, and the flock will be dispersed.” (Matt. 26:31)

For many years now, some have proclaimed the Apostolic See to be vacant and have continued their episcopal or priestly ministry completely independently of what they consider to be a false Church. They found themselves in a desert where brothers who shared all their convictions and actions were difficult to come by. They were not afraid of ridicule and contradiction, and have tirelessly continued to assert the illegitimacy of the pretenders to the papacy. But are their voices the official word of the Church? Can they canonically bind the whole Church?

Others were more cautious and, while keeping their distance, turned a deaf ear to everything that came from the pretenders to the papacy. They preferred to reserve their judgement and lead independent lives while waiting for better days. Better days have not come. Without the cooperation of men, will they come at all?
Still others preferred to seek reconciliation with the Church that emerged from the Second Vatican Council. They worked tirelessly to preserve a place for Catholic liturgy and traditions in what they consider to be a Church in disarray. But shouldn’t Catholic doctrine, liturgy, and traditions belong everywhere in the Church, not just somewhere within it? Can they be relegated to a side chapel of the Barque of Peter? Can Catholic Tradition be just one option among a pantheon of novelties?

All around us today, even among those who have remained steadfast in the Faith of the Church, we cannot help but notice many unfortunate divisions. Who will bring about this much-desired unity among us? We do not deny that the Church’s unity, which is one of her marks, yet endures, but we maintain that at present, especially with regard to governance, it is considerably obscured. The Church must remedy this situation.