Cardinal Zen Contends ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ ‘Creates Confusion’ and Suggests Cardinal Fernández Should Resign
Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun has said Pope Francis’ recent declaration allowing the blessing of same-sex couples under certain conditions “creates confusion” and has suggested that its author, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, should resign or be dismissed.
In a statement published Jan. 23 on his blog, Cardinal Zen said the declaration Fiducia Supplicans contains numerous passages in need of clarification and “leaves many questions unanswered,” according to an unofficial translation.
The 92-year-old Hong Kong cardinal emeritus highlighted in particular how the declaration appeared to him to condone sexual behavior in same-sex relationships by implying such a relationship has an “intrinsic goodness,” and can “mature” and “grow.”
Noting how the declaration appears to be similar to Pope Francis’ response to one of five dubia that the cardinal and four other cardinals sent last summer, in which they sought clarification on same-sex blessings, Cardinal Zen said Fiducia Supplicans (“Supplicating Trust”) makes the claim that “same-sex sexual love is ‘similar’ to marital love!”
“This is an absolute subjective error,” he said. “According to objective truth, that behavior is a grave sin and can never be good.”
The cardinal asked that if Cardinal Fernández, as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, “is committing a heresy by claiming a serious sin as ‘good,’ then shouldn’t the prefect resign or be dismissed?”
Cardinal Zen was referring to paragraph 31 of the document which refers to those in same-sex relationships who, although they “do not claim legitimization of their own status,” nevertheless “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,” the paragraph continues,” 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.”
If Cardinal Fernández, as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, “is committing a heresy by claiming a serious sin as ‘good,’ then shouldn’t the prefect resign or be dismissed?” Cardinal Zen wrote in his statement.
