CARDINAL MUELLER: FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS IS SELF-CONTRADICTORY

CARDINAL MUELLER: FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS IS SELF-CONTRADICTORY

As you will read in Pillar Catholic, Cardinal Gerhard Mueller in his essay for the Pillar,  says ‘Fiducia supplicans’ is ‘self-contradictory’.

Cardinal Mueller was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 2012 to 2017.

How can a Vatican document approved by the Pope be self-contradictory? He will explain but first, here is one way to understand two contradictory statements from the Vatican on one subject.

On Monday, December 18, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith (DDF), with approval of Pope Francis, released the Declaration Fiducia Supplicans that said “it will be possible to bless same-sex couples but without any type of ritualization or offering the impression of a marriage. The doctrine regarding marriage does not change, and the blessing does not signify approval of the union. This gesture of pastoral closeness must avoid any elements that remotely resemble a marriage rite. The document explores the theme of blessings, distinguishing between ritual and liturgical ones, and spontaneous ones more akin to signs of popular devotion. It is precisely in this second category there is now consideration of the possibility of welcoming even those who do not live according to the norms of Christian moral doctrine but humbly request to be blessed.” (https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-12/fiducia-supplicans-doctrine-faith-blessing-irregular-couples.html)

The document caused much confusion in the universal Church precisely because, in March of 2021, the Vatican, noted many articies in the media, declared that the Catholic Church won’t bless same-sex unions since God “cannot bless sin.” The Vatican’s orthodoxy office, the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), issued a formal response to a question about whether Catholic clergy have the authority to bless gay unions. The answer, contained in a relatively brief explanation, approved by the Holy Father Francis, was “negative.”

So, one question to which there are two answers from the Vatican, a YES and a NO.

It is important to note that the CDF, now the DDF, has a new prefect since this past September.

And now, Cardinal Mueller’s analysis: https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/muller-fiducia-supplicans-is-self

HOLY SEE INVESTIGATING ARCHBISHOP MCCARRICK CASE

Below is the long-awaited Vatican statement issued today about its investigation in the case of Archbishop Theodore McCarrick. It does leave a few questions, but the Holy See has at last spoken in a summary fashion to some of the accusations issued in two letters in August and September by former nuncio the United States, Abp. Carlo Maria Viganò. One of those accusations was that the Holy Father knew of the scandal involving the former cardinal and never did anything about it, instead making him an important part of Vatican diplomacy, sending him on missions,. including one to China.

More to come as the statement does say, “The Holy See will, in due course, make known the conclusions of the matter regarding Archbishop McCarrick.”

Read the Holy See statement first and then watch the following, absolutely riveting video of Raymond Arroyo’s interview with Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that aired on Thursday on “The World Over” – 40 minutes you’ll never forget! I found myself holding my breath at a few points. He talks of the McCarrick case (very interesting once you have read today’s Vatican statement!), the abuse scandal, the China deal, the synod on youth, the papal document on the synod, Episcopalis communio, and much more! You will learn a great deal! Bishop Robert Morlino of Madison, Wisconsin appears after the cardinal so stay tuned for that !

HOLY SEE INVESTIGATING ARCHBISHOP MCCARRICK CASE

After the publication of the accusations regarding the conduct of Archbishop Theodore Edgar McCarrick, the Holy Father Pope Francis, aware of and concerned by the confusion that these accusations are causing in the conscience of the faithful, has established that the following be communicated:

In September 2017, the Archdiocese of New York notified the Holy See that a man had accused former Cardinal McCarrick of having abused him in the 1970s. The Holy Father ordered a thorough preliminary investigation into this, which was carried out by the Archdiocese of New York, at the conclusion of which the relative documentation was forwarded to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In the meantime, because grave indications emerged during the course of the investigation, the Holy Father accepted the resignation of Archbishop McCarrick from the College of Cardinals, prohibiting him by order from exercising public ministry, and obliging him to lead a life of prayer and penance.

The Holy See will, in due course, make known the conclusions of the matter regarding Archbishop McCarrick. Moreover, with reference to other accusations brought against Archbishop McCarrick, the Holy Father has decided that information gathered during the preliminary investigation be combined with a further thorough study of the entire documentation present in the Archives of the Dicasteries and Offices of the Holy See regarding the former Cardinal McCarrick, in order to ascertain all the relevant facts, to place them in their historical context and to evaluate them objectively.

The Holy See is conscious that, from the examination of the facts and of the circumstances, it may emerge that choices were taken that would not be consonant with a contemporary approach to such issues. However, as Pope Francis has said: “We will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead” (Philadelphia, 27 September 2015). Both abuse and its cover-up can no longer be tolerated and a different treatment for Bishops who have committed or covered up abuse, in fact represents a form of clericalism that is no longer acceptable.

The Holy Father Pope Francis renews his pressing invitation to unite forces to fight against the grave scourge of abuse within and beyond the Church, and to prevent such crimes from being committed in the future to the harm of the most innocent and most vulnerable in society. As previously made known, the Holy Father has convened a meeting of the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences from around the world for next February, while the words of his recent Letter to the People of God still resonate: “The only way that we have to respond to this evil that has darkened so many lives is to experience it as a task regarding all of us as the People of God. This awareness of being part of a people and a shared history will enable us to acknowledge our past sins and mistakes with a penitential openness that can allow us to be renewed from within” (20 August 2018).