This is an object lesson in the dangers of breaking away from the authority of the Church, and of your local bishop, by forming your own parish: A traditionalist Tridentine-rite parish separate from the Newark archdiocese was formed by a priest who had been suspended in the 80s for disobedience is now splitting into pieces as it struggles with life after that founding priest. Fr. Paul Wickens had led the church since founding it 9 years ago, but with his death the people of the church have split into factions as they try to decide on a successor.
With people from Voice of the Faithful calling for a “democratic” Church and sit-in protesters at closed parishes talking about setting up so-called independent parishes, their inevitable results of such innovations are apparent here. Of course, this isn’t news since this has been the history of Protestantism since the Reformation, with about 20,000 different denominations today resulting from the continuing fractures.
One of the four marks of the Church is unity, oneness in the apostolic successors, the bishops. And as much as we may disagree with styles of governing by certain bishops, their authority, individually and as the magisterium, is indispensable.
[Hat tip to Matt Abbott for the link.]