[veritas2002]

You have clearly delineated what happens when there is separation from the authoritative teaching and tradition of the Catholic Church...splintering left and right. The Church is One under the temporal leadership of Peter and his successors. It is Peter, acting in alter Christus and who is Christ’s ordained representative, who binds the Church together. Separate from Peter and you have apostasy.

[Huber]

Separate from Peter and you have apostasy.

Unfortunately, there is plenty of apostasy within the See of Rome as well. Apparently, (or so it has been explained to me) even BXVI has limits to his ability to discipline apostate bishops, which is why you still have Cardinal Mahoney and others.

[Kolokotronis]

“Separate from Peter and you have apostasy.”

Fresh from the Dictatus Papae! The other four ancient Patriarchates of course would put it otherwise, perhaps as:

“When he separated from The Church, Peter became an apostate”

[AnalogReigns]

Separate from God’s word, and you have Rome.

[maryz]

Every one of those divisions listed has its counterpart in ostensibly Roman Catholic churches (or those that, like John Kerry’s Paulist Center style themselves as “worship communities in the Roman Catholic tradition” — whatever they think that means!).

[Kolokotronis]

“It is Peter, acting in alter Christus and who is Christ’s ordained representative, who binds the Church together.”

Surely you don’t mean this. +Ignatius of Antioch’s definition of The Church coupled with his Eucharistic theology would say that the Eucharist, truly Christ, is what binds The Church together, not a man, however exalted. Isn’t better to say that the proper and highest role of the Pope of Rome is to be the first servant of the unity of The Church?