Slouching towards schism

There is a story bubbling somewhat in the background in the US concerning the increasingly aggressive stance being adopted by some in the Catholic hierarchy towards the right of Catholic politicians to receive Communion if they don't align their political practise with Catholic beliefs. Now, as we noted a few days ago, this issue is partly being whipped up by the Torquemada faction of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy as a stick with which to beat John Kerry. In fact it's a useful stick all round for the VRWC, which can use the Communion Conundrum to create some appearance of diversity within it (e.g. the very public dissents of Andrew Sullivan, as tracked for instance by Sullywatch).

We also referred a few days ago to the outstanding history of the Reformation by Diarmaid McCulloch, which should be salutory reading for anyone thinks this debate can end well for the Catholic Church. As McCulloch explains in great detail, a key dynamic throughout the Reformation was the forced choice of allegiance to the Church or the State. Symptomatic of the disaster was the deranged Pope Pius V's declaration that England's Queen Elizabeth I was a heretic and furthermore that any English Catholics who obeyed her laws would be excommunicated -- immediately casting them as traitors:

[The Papal Bull] Therefore, resting upon the authority of Him whose pleasure it was to place us (though unequal to such a burden) upon this supreme justice-seat, we do out of the fullness of our apostolic power declare the foresaid Elizabeth to be a heretic and favourer of heretics, and her adherents in the matters aforesaid to have incurred the sentence of excommunication and to be cut off from the unity of the body of Christ...

And also (declare) the nobles, subjects and people of the said realm and all others who have in any way sworn oaths to her, to be forever absolved from such an oath and from any duty arising from lordshop. fealty and obedience...We charge and command all and singular the nobles, subjects, peoples and others afore said that they do not dare obey her orders, mandates and laws. Those who shall act to the contrary we include in the like sentence of excommunication.

As McCulloch explains, English Catholics were relatively happy to operate below the radar screen while paying nominal homage to the Anglican church; now the mere suspicion of Catholic practise could be a death-sentence. Of course we are not in that position today. But the Church, if not the VRWC elements pushing this agenda, should surely be aware of the previous outcomes of tugs-of-war over secular versus religious allegiance.