Bishop Athanasius Schneider points to the one case in Church history that reframes the whole SSPX debate: St. Athanasius of Alexandria. In 357, Pope Liberius — under pressure from the emperor — commanded Athanasius to enter into communion with Arian and semi-Arian bishops. Athanasius refused. The pope excommunicated him for "troubling the peace of the Church." Liberius became the first pope not to be canonized; Athanasius was not only canonized but declared a Doctor of the Church. As Bishop Schneider observes, under the current Code of Canon Law's definition of schism, St. Athanasius would be considered a schismatic today.

From A Catholic Take with Joe McClane (livestream, August 19, 2026).
Watch the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmCuGtbq-2g

0:00 - The pope commanded a saint to commune with heretics
0:11 - "A pope did that." Pope Liberius, under pressure from the emperor
0:24 - Athanasius refuses — and is excommunicated. Sound familiar?
1:01 - The first pope not to be canonized vs. a Doctor of the Church
1:13 - Exiled seven times, hiding in the catacombs
1:25 - Against the whole world — and proved right
1:39 - Schneider: today he'd be called a "schismatic" under canon law

"But when Cephas was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed." — Galatians 2:11

A Catholic Take airs weekdays on iCatholicRadio. Show page: https://thestationofthecross.com/act/
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