Great article from Father Byers, Pastor of Holy Redeemer Parish in Andrews, NC, who gives a great perspective on schism.

Bishop Strickland on being schismatic or not

The word schism means separation or to open up. God’s first act was to create a schism when God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God *separated* the light from the darkness.

Those who adhere to the unchangeable teachings of the Church are often falsely accused of being “schismatic” by men who have assumed positions of power and who abuse this power to change the teachings of the Church.

Since all authority comes from God, the Church is infinitely powerful to defend her traditional teachings. Conversely, the Church has no authority or power to change them.

Father Byers writes:

“Schism isn’t always bad and evil. Jesus came not to bring peace, but the sword of Truth, not unity with Satan, but rather unity with God to the exclusion of Satan.

Those repentant of sin, confessing their sin as they went down for baptism, rejoiced to see the heavens schism-ing open. The unrepentant, the brood of vipers, hated this.

Those … comfortable with the darkness, shake their fists at God all the more because of the schism-ing light which also casts a light on their sin.

– Schism is always bad and evil, they say.
– Obey us, puppets of ours that you are, they say.
– Don’t incriminate us of our sins by way of God’s truth, they say.
– We’re afraid of the light, they say.
– Schism is always bad and evil, they say.

But we must remain with God who separates the light from the darkness, God’s first act in His creation.”

Brilliant.