But as
St. Jerome remarks,
practically and historically, heresy and schism nearly always go hand in hand; schism leads almost invariably to denial of the
papal primacy.
Schism, therefore,
is usually mixed, in which case, considered from a
moral standpoint,
its perversity is chiefly due to the heresy which forms part of it.
In its other aspect and as being purely schism
it is contrary to charity and obedience; to the former, because it severs the ties of fraternal charity, to the latter, because
the schismatic rebels against the Divinely constituted hierarchy.
However,
not every disobedience is a schism;
in order to possess this character it must include besides the transgression of the commands of superiors, denial of their Divine right to command. On the other hand, schism does not necessarily imply adhesion, either public or private, to a dissenting group or a distinct
sect, much less the
creation of such a group.
Anyone becomes a schismatic who, though desiring to remain a Christian, rebels against legitimate authority, without going as far as the rejection of
Christianity as a whole, which constitutes the crime of
apostasy.
