On the Declaration by Pope Francis
Perhaps Pope Francis thought releasing Fiducia Supplicans under the cover of Christmas would hide it from the bright light of scrutiny. Maybe he thought it would be his Christmas gift to the Church. In either case, he was deeply mistaken.
The Pope’s Declaration is more dangerous than even its most ardent advocates are willing to admit, not because of what it calls for - which is troubling enough - but because of how the Pope dissembles and obfuscates to achieve his ends. It is methodological table-setting for the next, more radical phase.
I’ve now read the Papal Declaration Fiducia Supplicans, On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings eight times, and each successive reading only magnifies my growing sense of concern and frustration, one I no doubt share with many Christians, whether Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox. In my view, Pope Francis has assaulted truth.
I’ve left the definite article out of the previous sentence on purpose. It isn’t simply that the Declaration has subverted a truth, the Christian meaning of marriage, though that would be reason enough to object to it. The Declaration goes much further; it demonstrates a form of theological semantic seduction that rejects the idea of truth-telling itself. Truthful Church authorities do not need such obfuscation, and truly pastoral Church authorities would resist the temptation to employ it on such essential matters.
Pope Francis has taken the route to the end many liberal theologians have long hoped to achieve - a latitudinarian view of human sexual relations that contradicts the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles, together with 2000 years of unified wisdom and practice in the Christian community. That community has far too frequently been unified on little else, and Francis has done this while claiming he’s continuing to uphold that traditional doctrinal position. This “have one’s cake and eat it too” approach to good and evil, morality and immorality, isn’t simply denying one single truth but the undoing of the Church’s capacity to represent truth with credibility. Forked tongues are unbecoming of Christian authorities.
When a Christian authority - and the Bishop of Rome is that at least and, in the eyes of many, far more! - makes such an official statement by redefining words and then deploying them in ways that serve his ends rather than the clarity and charity of the Gospel, he invites the rebuke and scorn that leads to the undermining of his own authority and office. In addition, he subverts the very framework by which the recovery of doctrinal truth can be undertaken. Pope Francis has embraced the manifestly false idea that because truth and love walk together in faithful witness to the world, truth and love may now be defined by the world's norms rather than by Scripture and its exposition in the Christian tradition of the past two millennia. The arrogance of it all is stunning in its scope, especially given its claims to humility.
Is It All That Bad?
The Declaration’s introductory section reads, “This Declaration remains firm on the traditional doctrine of the Church about marriage, not allowing any liturgical rite or blessing similar to a liturgical rite that can create confusion. The value of this document, however, is that it offers a specific and innovative contribution to the pastoral meaning of blessings, permitting a broadening and enrichment of the classical understanding of blessings, which is closely linked to a liturgical perspective. Such theological reflection, based on the pastoral vision of Pope Francis, implies a real development from what has been said about blessings in the Magisterium and the official texts of the Church.”
In section I, the Declaration reminds the reader of the Church’s view of marriage and claims that it continues to be the standard of orthodoxy. Good. Section II, however, is where the deceptive turn is taken. What is needed is a novel approach to blessing that will “broaden” and “enrich” its meaning. An innovation is being brought forward. How does that occur, and what does it mean?
The Declaration reminds readers that “the formulas of blessing are primarily aimed at giving glory to God for his gifts, asking for his favors, and restraining the power of evil in the world.’ Therefore, those who invoke God’s blessing through the Church are invited to “strengthen their dispositions through faith, for which all things are possible” and to trust in “the love that urges the observance of God’s commandments.’ This is why, while ‘there is always and everywhere an opportunity to praise God through Christ, in the Holy Spirit,’ there is also care to do so with ‘things, places, or circumstances that do not contradict the law or the spirit of the Gospel.’”
But the Declaration then adds that what is now needed is a non-liturgical, non-ritual form of blessing, one more in line with the informal and free bestowal of mercy one encounters in the Scripture, that is for anyone asking to receive it. This is motivated by pastoral concern; it isn’t associated with the Eucharist nor a marriage rite. However, it is certainly offered with a unique concern for those living in what the Declaration calls “Irregular” relationships.
Regarding those in such relationships, “a blessing may be imparted that not only has an ascending value but also involves the invocation of a blessing that descends from God upon those who—recognizing themselves to be destitute and in need of his help—do not claim a legitimation of their status, but who beg that all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and their relationships be enriched, healed, and elevated by the presence of the Holy Spirit. These forms of blessing express a supplication that God may grant those aids that come from the impulses of his Spirit—what classical theology calls “actual grace”—so that human relationships may mature and grow in fidelity to the Gospel, that they may be freed from their imperfections and frailties, and that they may express themselves in the ever-increasing dimension of the divine love.”
So the word “blessing”, which in the spiritual life and liturgical practice of the Roman Church is a priestly act that presumes certain conditions of the recipient, will now be modified to include a lower-tier blessing reserved for those who acknowledge their need for help (we all need help, after all), but who are also decidedly unrepentant. There can be no doubt, however, that the continued use of the word “blessing,” with all it has entailed in that communion for so long, will cause profound confusion even as it paves the way for later, more radical alterations.
The only true “blessing” reserved for the unrepentant in Scripture is called Church discipline, which is to be administered so that a wayward soul would be reclaimed for the Lord Jesus. It is truly pastoral. Numerous passages of Scripture might be cited to underscore this reality (along with the Catholic Catechism itself), but Pope Francis has decided to redefine not only “blessing” but love as well. In the Declaration, love is witnessed to others not by calling them to repentance and faith but by a pastoral “blessing” on those who openly defy God.
This new approach to blessing has certain guardrails and guidelines. The Declaration states, “For this reason, one should neither provide for nor promote a ritual for the blessings of couples in an irregular situation. At the same time, one should not prevent or prohibit the Church’s closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God’s help through a simple blessing. In a brief prayer preceding this spontaneous blessing, the ordained minister could ask that the individuals have peace, health, a spirit of patience, dialogue, and mutual assistance—but also God’s light and strength to be able to fulfill his will completely.”
But if that is all such a blessing intends, then the more precise word is “prayer” - we are to pray for people, just as any minister already does. Yet in this case, the prayer precedes the blessing, raising the act to something more, something that wasn’t previously permitted but not quite as high as what’s always been commanded.
No wonder the result is confusion among Roman Catholics here and around the globe. A Declaration that claims to guard against confusion has unleashed exactly that pathology.
And if it isn’t meant to be a ritual or rite that in some way validates homosexual relationships in the Church, then why doesn’t the Vatican deny such is the case when every Western news outlet and many Catholic liberals claim that it does? The silence is the tell. And if it doesn’t do that, then why was it necessary in the first place?
It is right that the Church seeks to bring into its embrace of faith all those on the margins of our world. The motivation to bless the hungry, thirsty, and outcast is beautiful and reflective of Christ himself, born in poverty, on the margins, and under oppression to undo the reign of the darkest powers and make saints of sinners through the cross. The ultimate outer darkness is eternal, and Christ rescues us from it by his death and resurrection, bringing us to life in him through the Holy Spirit. He meets us where we are, but his mercy never leaves us as we are. He does not bless our unrepentance; on the contrary, he blesses us with repentance.
Where to Now?
The Pope’s efforts in the new Declaration have a clear trajectory, a syncretistic one that seeks to unite two opposing and mutually exclusive views of marriage in one common new approach. He cannot accomplish this if he denies the settled truth; the Pope must affirm the ancient vision, but while doing so, redefine the vocabulary and thus exert control over the debate even as he moves to silence his opponents. His recent moves against certain theologically conservative American Bishops make clear that his long-range vision includes clearing out all opposition so his liberalizing agenda can be advanced.
This Pope has committed high treason against his own communion. His actions endanger its union. More significantly, his words deny the Gospel, distort the truth, and dispel authentic love. It is never pastorally wise to lie to people or to bless what God will not. In its closing, The Declaration observes that our “world needs blessings, and we can give blessings and receive blessings”, and that is undoubtedly true. But the Declaration of Pope Francis will be counted as a curse as its subversive and duplicitous contents overflow into further confusion, misbelief, and despair.
It has never been more vital for churches in all communions to clearly and humbly hold fast to the Faith as it moves forward graciously in mission. My Roman Catholic friends have some difficult decisions to make. And we all, Protestant and Catholic alike, have centuries of truth to maintain resolutely.