Pope Francis: "Whoever is Critical of Fiducia Supplicans is an Ideologue" -- He Doesn't Fear Schism

Pope Francis wants to go "forward" despite the opposition to Fiducia supplicans and does not want to take the objections into account.

(Rome) Once again, Pope Francis defended the declaration Fiducia supplicans of the Roman Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which introduces gay blessings. It is Francis' second defense in a matter of days. This time it happened in the context of an interview.

The controversial declaration, which has met with resistance in the Church worldwide, was issued on December 18 with the explicit approval of Francis. Responsible for this is his ghostwriter and favorite protégé Victor Manuel Fernández, whom he has helped to a storybook career since 2009. And of whom the Argentine Bergoglian Sr. Lucia Caram declared on Spanish television that he himself was "gay".

First of all, however, Francis has so far officially commented on Fiducia supplicans. This was last Friday, in an address he gave to the members of the Dicastery for the Faith, headed by Cardinal Fernández.

Yesterday, Monday, the Turin daily La Stampa published an interview with Francis. True, the main headline is dedicated to the Middle East conflict, with the Pope calling for the implementation of the two-state solution. Fiducia supplicans, the most radical document of the moral revolution of his pontificate, immediately follows as the second part of the main headline. And that with a fierce announcement:

"They are attacking me because of the gay couples, but I don't fear a schism." 

Francis prefers the path of the "informal magisterium" by giving interviews to friendly media. Almost without exception, these are secular media outlets that are willingly and supportively open to him. This time it was the turn of La Stampa, whose long-time Vatican correspondent Andrea Tornielli was Francis' house and court Vaticanist in the first part of the Argentine pontificate and is now editor-in-chief of all Vatican media.

Criticism has to be endured, Francis said, but it only comes from small "groups" that are also "ideologically" motivated. Two side blows with the heavy hardwood club. The Pope implicitly claims the Holy Spirit for the controversial Roman declaration. He also affirmed that black Africans have a cultural problem, as they still reject homosexuality, while the rest of the world no longer has a problem with it. But he hoped that everything would "gradually" subside. It is therefore only a matter of time before the paradigm shift in the recognition of homosexuality becomes universally accepted.

Francis' statements are not only about what he says and how he says it, but also about the omissions, about what he does not say, about what he is silent about. This includes, above all, his notorious "No, Yes, Yes", a message that the world to which he prefers to address, the secular media understands very well, even and above all those parts that remain unspoken.

Francis, on the other hand, does not fear a schism. In his answer, it is necessary to include an earlier statement when, on December 23, 2016, he let it be known internally that it was "not impossible" that he would go down in history as "the one who divided the Catholic Church." But, as he now let the world know, this did not impress him. In other words, he wouldn't care, because the schismatics, since he is the Pope, are by definition always the others, and ideologues what's more.

Here is the translation of the parts of the interview concerning Fiducia supplicans:

La Stampa: Last summer, in Lisbon, in front of millions of young people, you emphatically declared that the Church is for "everyone, everyone, everyone": is it the great challenge of your pontificate to open the Church to all?

Pope Francis: This is the reading key of Jesus. Christ calls everyone in. All. There is a parable of his own: the parable of the wedding to which no one appears, and then the king sends the servants "to the crossroads, and everyone whom you find, you call to the wedding feast." The Son of God wants to make it clear that he does not want a chosen group, an elite. So maybe someone will "smuggle himself in", but at that moment it is God who takes care of him, who shows him the way. When I am asked, "But can these people, who are in such an inadequate moral situation, go in?" I say, "All of them, says the Lord." I've been asked questions like this especially lately, after some of my decisions...

La Stampa: In particular, the blessing of "irregular and same-sex couples"....

Pope Francis: I am asked how this is possible. I answer: The Gospel is there to sanctify everyone. Provided, of course, that there is goodwill. It is necessary to give precise instructions for the Christian life – I emphasize that it is not the union that is blessed, but the persons. But we are all sinners: so why make a list of sinners who can be in the church and a list of sinners who can't be in the church? This is not the Gospel.

La Stampa: In the much-publicized television interview with Fabio Fazio on the programme Che Tempo Che Fa, you spoke about the price of loneliness that one has to pay after such a step: how do you live with the battle cry of those who rise up against it?

Pope Francis: Those who protest vehemently belong to small ideological groups. Africans are a special case: for them, homosexuality is culturally "ugly". They do not tolerate them. But in general, I hope that everyone will gradually be reassured by the spirit of the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith's declaration Fiducia supplican: it wants to include, not exclude. It invites us to welcome people and to entrust ourselves to God.

La Stampa: Do you suffer from loneliness?

Pope Francis: Solitude is as changeable as spring: in this and that season it can be a beautiful day, with sunshine, blue skies and a pleasant breeze; 24 hours later, the weather may be dark. We all experience loneliness. If you say, "I don't know what loneliness is," you're missing something. When I feel lonely, I pray above all. And if I perceive tensions in my environment, I calmly try to start a dialogue and discussion. But in any case, I'm always moving forward, day by day.

La Stampa: Are you afraid of a schism?

Pope Francis: No. In the Church there have always been small groups of schismatic reflections... You have to let them have their way, let them pass... and look ahead.

Text/Translation: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: La Stampa (Screenshot)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

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Cardinal Müller Describes Main Adviser of Pope Francis as "Heretical"

(Rome) In recent interview with the Herder Korrespondenz Cardinal Gerhard Müller, Prefect of the CDF, described the closest adviser of Pope Francis as "heretical".

In the June issue of Herder Korrespondenz (issue 6/2006) reaffirmed the Cardinal Prefect, that "no one" should relativize the doctrine of the papacy as a divine institution, for that would mean, wanting to "correct God." Some time ago, there was someone who was presented by "certain media" as one of the "closest advisers" of the Pope, the Cardinal said. This consultant has opined that there would be no problem in transferring the seat of the Pope to Medellin in Colombia or elsewhere, and the various Curia offices could be shared among the various local Churches. This, says Cardinal Müller, is fundamentally wrong and "even heretical". On this subject, it is sufficient to read the Dogmatic Constitution "Lumen Gentium" of Vatican II in order to identify the ecclesiological nonsense of such mind games. "The seat of the pope is Peter's in Rome."

The cardinal added that it is the express commission of St. Peter, to lead the whole Church as her supreme pastor. This commission was transferred to the Church of Rome and its bishop by Peter. This is not just an organizational question. The general aim was to preserve God-given unity. This also applied to the task of the high clergy of the Roman church, the cardinals who assist the Pope in the exercise of his primacy.

Victor Manuel Fernández: Chief consultant and ghostwriter of the Pope

Cardinal Müller, interview the Herder Korrespondencz

With the Prefect in his allusion "aimed his sights," said the Vatican expert Sandro Magister, it is not hard to see: it is the Titular Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández , the Rector of the Catholic University of Argentina .

Fernández was already the preferred speech writer  of the then Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires. Fernández was then, and still is, the confidence theologian and the ghostwriter of the Archbishop, and now,  the papal documents of Evangelii gaudium to Amoris laetitia . In the particularly controversial Apostolic Exhortation can be found verbatim, whole passages from [crap] essays  Fernández published ten years ago.

Cardinal Müller did not call the Pope's advisers by name. But what he said is unambiguous. Likewise, the word, which the Faith Prefect leveled: "heretic".

The Cardinal had in view an interview of Fernández in Corriere della Sera of 10 May 2015 where the speechwriter of the Pope explained, "the Vatican curia is not an essential structure. The pope could live outside of Rome, have a dicastery in Rome and another in Bogotá, and to connect, for example, by videoconference with liturgy experts in Germany. That which is around the Pope, in the theological sense, is the college of bishops to serve the people. [...] Even the Cardinals could disappear in the sense that they are not essential."

Fernández's attack against Cardinal Müller

Fernández attacked the Faith Prefect even directly because of this in a March 29, 2015 in La Croix , the daily newspaper of the French Bishops' Conference where he had said in the published interview, the pontificate of Pope Francis was essentially a "pastoral" pontificate, making it the object of the CDF was to "restructure theologically" this pontificate.

"Papa's favorite grumbles," Jürgen Erbacher wrote for ZDF  Fernández's reply:

"I have read that some say that the Roman Curia is an essential part of the mission of the Church, or that a Prefect of the Vatican is the safe compass which preserves the Church from falling into a Light-thinking; or that this prefect ensures the unity of the faith and the Pope guarantees a serious theology. But for Catholics who read the gospel, knowing that Christ has assured the pope and all of the bishops  as a guide and a special enlightenment, but not a prefect or other structure. When you hear say such things, it seems almost as if the Pope is one of their representatives, or one who has come to interfere, and must be controlled."

More than a  year has passed since the Argentine aimed his arrows  against the Prefect. Arrows that do not need for the Pope to have approved  them but which have not bothered him since Fernández is still the chief advisor at Francis' side.

Fernández in his sights, but did he mean the Pope?

The conflict between Pope and CDF is heating up more and more, and with each new document with   ambiguous formulations which Pope Francis  publishes with the active help of his Argentine prompter, Cardinal Müller seems to be more irritated.

With his criticism in Herder Korrespondenz the cardinal prefect strikes close to the Pope according to the Interpretation mess of Amoris laetitia. So close that he has accused the pope's closest staff member as a "heretic."  It's a verdict that is meant for Fernández, but also radiates to the Pope, because of a "theologian of little brilliance" (Sandro Magister) in Argentina would hardly draw the attention of a Prefect of the Congregation.

The German cardinal is a clever man. He knows that his frontal attack against the right hand of the Pope, will bring his reputation with Francis to the point of freezing. A "risk",  Cardinal Müller obviously approvingly obviously takes into account. He knows that Francis has in fact sidelined, the CDF and cares precious little about the work of this curial authority and its documents. Just as he had been in June 2013 when recommended to the Bureau of progressive confederation of Latin American and Caribbean religious.

Redefining the understanding of the office of the Prefect of Faith?

Cardinal Müller seems to work on a new definition of his role as head of the CDF. As mere collaborator of the Pope, he can hardly make a difference. The pope made ​​him  to know only a few days ago , when he hinted that the authentic interpretation of Amoris laetitia was not about Müller's grueling effort, to somehow bring the controversial papal Fernandezian theses in  harmony with the ecclesial tradition, but the interpretation of  Vienna's [evil] Archbishop, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn.

Cardinal Müller will have to understand his role in serving the Vicar of Christ on earth  as Prefect,  regardless of the current incumbent's understanding and exercise of that office. He may not really "theological structure" this pontificate, but he may strengthen the faith of 1.3 billion Catholics. And eventually this pontificate will also end.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: MiL / Herder correspondence (Screenshot)

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

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