Article III. On Certain Other Sins Against Charity Toward Neighbor

Besides the sins explained, there are opposed to charity the acts of withdrawing someone from a more perfect thing, discord, which is in the heart, contention, which is in the mouth, schism, quarrel, duel, war, and sedition, which pertain to work (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 37-42). Concerning quarrel, duel, war, and sedition, it will be said more opportunely elsewhere.

I. Hindering the more perfect thing. He who withdraws someone from a more perfect thing is not guilty of scandal except reductively. Nevertheless he sins against charity, and indeed gravely, if without just cause he withdraws someone from a great good, for example from entering religion; he sins still more, and indeed against justice, if he does this by force or fraud (St. Alphonsus, IV, 77).

II. Discord is a dissent of wills concerning a good which we ought to will from charity. It is a grave sin from its genus, that is, grave or light according as it concerns a good necessarily or not necessarily to be pursued (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 37, a. 1).

III. Contention is discord in words or altercation among several persons, disordered from the fact that truth is attacked or defended in an undue manner. Contention which occurs by attacking truth is a grave sin from its genus, that is, grave or light according as a truth of very great or lesser importance is attacked. Contention which occurs by defending truth in an undue manner is of itself a venial sin; nevertheless a species of grave sin can be joined to it (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 38, a. 1).

IV. Schism. 1. Notion. Schism is a sin by which someone separates himself from the unity of the Church, or "refuses to be subject to the Supreme Pontiff, or refuses to communicate with the members of the Church subject to him" (can. 1325, § 2). But "the unity of the Church is considered in two things, namely in the connection of the members of the Church with one another, or communion; and again in the ordering of all the members of the Church to one head" (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 39, a. 1). Hence - for evil is from any defect whatever - "schismatics are called: 1. those who refuse to be subject to the Supreme Pontiff; and 2. those who refuse to communicate with the members of the Church subject to him" (St. Thomas, loc. cit.), that is, as Cajetan explains in this place, those who refuse to operate as part of the Catholic Church, namely to teach or be taught, to govern or be governed, to sanctify or be sanctified; for they break the unity of faith, or of obedience, or of worship.

Corollary. Every heretic is schismatic; but not conversely, although schism regularly does not occur without heresy (St. Thomas, loc. cit.). He who separates himself from his own bishop alone is not by that very fact yet a schismatic; nevertheless he who is separated in an undue manner from a bishop or particular Church will easily withdraw from the Pope and the Church.

2. Morality. Schism is a grave sin, because through it someone "intends to separate himself from the unity which charity makes" (St. Thomas, loc. cit.), charity, I say, which not only unites persons among themselves, but also the whole Church in unity of spirit. Nevertheless infidelity is a graver sin than schism: for "that sin which is contrary to a greater good is, from its genus, graver; as a sin against God is graver than a sin against neighbor. But it is manifest that infidelity is a sin against God himself, according as in himself he is the first truth on which faith rests; while schism is against ecclesiastical unity, which is a certain participated good, and less than God himself is; whence it is manifest that the sin of infidelity from its genus is graver than the sin of schism" (St. Thomas, II-II, q. 39, a. 2). Nevertheless, as we have said, a sin against faith is usually joined to schism.