The Church is about clarity, not confusion. So, about those new blessings...
I have been as disturbed as any other faithful Catholic by the new document from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved by Pope Francis, that permits blessings of homosexual “couples” (the document’s word) and also those in irregular (read: adulterous) unions.
My purpose in writing this post is not to parse the document itself, because that has been done thoroughly by others already, using the very words of the document to expose its own interior contradictions. For those wanting good analyses, Cardinal Müller breaks it down here:
Müller - ‘Fiducia supplicans’ is ‘self-contradictory’
And Eric Sammons breaks it down here:
Breaking Down Fiducia Supplicans
I highly encourage you to read both.
Meanwhile, I simply wish to remind folks of some first principles.
The Catholic Church was founded by Christ for a purpose: the salvation of souls. The Church’s two-millennia-old mandate is to preach Christ’s Truth, in season and out, until the end of time. The Church, via her teaching, preaching, and sacraments, is the instrument of grace and salvation for every soul on earth.
Because of this, we all understand that the voice of the Church is one of CLARITY—a clarion call, as one crying out in the wilderness. The Church stands as a beacon of light for unmoored souls on stormy seas, cutting through the darkness, danger, confusion, and chaos of the world that surrounds them.
That which brings clarity, light, and truth is of God.
That which brings confusion, obfuscation, and chaos is… not of God.
We know this. Every follower of Christ knows this.
To the extent that the Church fails in her mission of clarity, she betrays Christ Jesus.
One should tremble in fear rather than dare bring confusion to the faithful. Those in authority must especially avoid, at all costs, any hint of confusion that could be sown through their words, teachings, and proclamations, lest souls be led astray and lost. The culpability for those who confuse the faithful is high and fearsome.
The papacy itself exists to ensure that that Christ’s doctrinal and moral Truth is proclaimed with clarity to all the world. The pope in every era is the point of unity for the universal Church, and he is to speak with a clear voice to all. Christ commanded that Peter (and thus his successors) strengthen the brethren and feed His sheep. The Church is not any one pope’s plaything, nor is Scripture, nor is the Deposit of Faith. In fact, the pope is not as powerful as you think*, and the sacred trust of the See of Peter necessitates that a pope’s power is limited. He must be exceedingly, painstakingly, careful to guard faithfully all that has been handed down to him.
When the Church’s voice of clarity breaks down (for whatever reason), and when the Church’s agents become the source of confusion rather than the herald of clear teaching, we have a calamitous problem. With regard to this latest confusion coming out of Rome and disseminated throughout even the secular world, here are just a few early examples of the bad fruit resulting:
Fr. Joseph Krupp:
The Holy Father and Cardinal Fernandez put priests in an impossible position. I’ve talked to three of four clergy today who already were fielding calls from couples in irregular marriages and/or gay couples to set up their blessing. So, we end up being called reactionary conservatives, homophobes, hateful priests, or disobedient to the Holy Father. Whatever label they use for us, we become the reason they no longer practice the Faith. We become the story they tell people about that bad priest. All because Rome decided to do something that isn’t doing something that is really doing something. Merry Christmas, faithful priests.
From a friend who lives overseas in a mostly Protestant country:
I have SO many confused, conservative Protestant friends. They were attracted to the Catholic Church because of its steadiness in all the storms that rage in the Protestant world. Now they say "Oh, so it does not help to convert.”
Another friend says: “Seriously. All of my searching Protestant friends are now like ‘what the hell?’”
And yet another: “My former Anglican friends (myself included) are just flabbergasted at this move. We aren’t leaving, but we have had a bit of a wry laugh about ‘we converted for this??’”
Meanwhile, we have LGBTQXYZ activist Fr. James Martin gleefully posting a photo of himself blessing a homosexual “married” Catholic couple (whose online history of “couple” photos is too vile and graphic to expose here), which the New York Times happily disseminated to all.
James Martin’s X account
We should not forget that Fr. Martin does not (as far as I have seen) call his many followers to repent of their deadly sexual sins, even though the “LGBTQ ministry” is his wheelhouse. Salvation of these souls is not his concern, and his history of speaking truth is spotty at best. Shady folks like Martin are having a heyday with this new document, and they have wasted no time in getting faulty images placed in our imaginations (“Look! A priest can bless gay couples!”). Clearly the message is that the Church approves, this is so beautiful, no repentance required. But, in truth, it’s diabolical: Lull these souls further in their mortal sin, and let them leave happy and affirmed.
Adding to the confusion, Bishop Barron releases a short, weak statement to his massive following that references those who are “living the Christian life in a less than perfect way.” As if a life of sodomy, the sin that cries out to heaven for vengeance, is just a Christian life lived a teeny bit imperfectly. Or as if the sin of adultery (one of the Big Ten) is just an imperfection of the Christian journey…. Which saint would ever say this about mortal sins that could result in an eternity of torment for the poor souls who commit them? None, of course.
Please note that Bishop Barron is the the chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth. The same youth who don’t know what marriage is and who are being devoured by the lies of gender ideology.
Thankfully, we see a growing number of bishops, especially from Africa, issuing statements saying that, despite the Vatican document, the blessing of sinful couples will not be permitted in their dioceses, as such an act would go against the Catholic faith and confuse the faithful. Many priests and orders are also officially balking at what they know to be wrong and offensive to God. (Keep in mind, the document says that “couples” may be blessed, not simply “individuals.”)
But as we see these pockets of faithful resistance, the world and the Catholic left (is there a difference?) will excitedly continue to promote the confusion generated by this new document. As they do, it is imperative that faithful Catholics not lose heart. We must keep in mind the basics that we know—i.e., the Church exists for clarity not confusion—and then we are easily able to discern wisely from there.
While the storm rages, and even when you feel helpless, do not fear or worry. Every bit of this was prophesied and expected (CCC 675-677), and our task is to hold to the Faith and to Christ ever more firmly as the “final unleashing of evil” intensifies. Jesus Himself asked if He would find any faith on earth when He comes again, and He doesn’t call us His “little flock” for nothing. It’s okay to feel like we are in the minority, even in our own Church.
Ambiguous documents aside, we keep our eyes on Jesus. Fr. Jerry J. Pokorsky assures us: “Studied ambiguities shall not stand. ‘Nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light’ (Lk. 8:17).”
The Church, as the Body of Christ, is going through her Passion just as her Master did, and the ranks thin as we get closer to the Cross. Stay steady, pray always, be joyful, do not fall prey to confusion and obfuscation, and await the redemption with a joyful heart!
Merry Christmas, dear friends! Christ is born, and a weary world rejoices!
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*I wrote that article in 2010, when our beloved Pope Benedict was still reigning.
