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Dear narses,

When a bishop acts sinfully, foolishly, stupidly, even criminally and in many cases, even disobediently, that doesn't make him schismatic. It doesn't make him heretical. It makes him sinful, foolish, or stupid, or criminal, or even disobedient.

It is such a stretch from the harmful actions of some bishops against Catholic education to the idea that the USCCB is schismatic. In the Archdiocese of Washington, the policies implemented that caused the wild increase in tuitions were implemented during the administration of our archdiocese by James Cardinal Hickey, a man thought by most to be highly orthodox. But, being a product of public schools in his midwestern hometown, perhaps he didn't think that Catholic schools were all that necessary to the Catholic education of children. After all, we do have CCD, don't we? I strongly disagreed with his decisions regarding our schools.

In my view, the bulk of money from Catholic giving ought to be put to the support of Catholic elementary schools, high schools, and colleges. As well, if this were the case, it is likely that the orthodoxy of at least the elementary and high schools would be increased. These schools would then rely heavily on the money coming from Catholic parishes. The power of the purse would be wielded by ordinary parish priests, and the people in the pews (usually, it is the more orthodox folks who bother to come to Mass every week and put an envelope in the basket).

But Cardinal Hickey was the bishop, not me.

I think his decisions in this regard were terribly mistaken, and did great harm to the laity of Washington. But that doesn't make him schismatic. At worst, it means that his prudential judgement failed him, and us, in Washington. That failure, if that is what it was, was counterbalanced by many good and excellent and ORTHODOX things that he did during his time as our Ordinary.

Other bishops have acted differently. A poster here tells us all to come to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. There, the archbishops have acted wisely and prudently, and have often twisted the arms of the secular authorities to provide significant assistance to Catholic school families, thus helping to keep costs within reach of middle class families. The cardinals and archbishops of Philadelphia are to be highly praised for their actions.

But that doesn't make those who have acted stupidly or foolishly to be in schism.

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