Christ's Humility and His rejection of human power must be remembered by all in the Church.
I have just finished reading two histories of the Anglican Church, which has a synod coming up. Two things have struck me on this history, the history of Protestantism and the factions within the Catholic Church.
Firstly, the Revolt of the Protestants, like the defection of the Arians, hurt the Church with a wound which is still bleeding. The effects of the revolt are not conservative sects, but anarchy. Without authority, humans split into many groups, like the languages splitting humanity at the Tower of Babel. Split follows split, division follows division. The life of the founder of Unitarianism gives us a mini-history of Protestantism. Francis David had originally trained as a Catholic priest. Then, he became a Lutheran, and then a Calvinist. He then founded the Unitarian church. The impetus of Protestantism is separation, division, pain...
Secondly, factions which remain in the Church do as much, if not more damage than those without. Schisms are never to be desired, as souls are at stake. However, factions within the Church weaken the mission of the Church. I shall give an example.
Recently, I have been trying to facilitate some meetings. The meetings are of a missionary nature. The problems caused by different viewpoints of Catholics at these groupings has come to a point where the missionary activity may not take place. Seven Catholics around a table seem to have seven different points of view. How did this happen?
The "smoke of Satan" entering the Church is the demon of factions, of divisions. That there are so many means several things-bad catechesis being the first and foremost problem. Hatred of another's viewpoint on liturgy, or the nature of the laity causes other factions. Heresy, such as the view of marriage and cohabitation or even political parties cause factions.
I do not know how the Church spread across Europe and Asia so quickly when I look at the number of factions in a small room. Only the Holy Spirit can prevail over egos, prejudices, a stubborn lack of knowledge, sin. Where there is pride and arrogance, self-righteousness and bias, there are factions. How grieved I am....
