Cardinal Fernández battles to fix rift with Copts over gay blessings document

[Michie]

ROME – The Vatican’s doctrinal chief has held talks with the Coptic leader to heal the rift caused by Rome’s decision to provide non-liturgical blessings for same-sex couples.

The December declaration Fiducia Supplicans prompted the Coptic Orthodox Church in March to sever ecumenical dialogue with the Catholic Church.

Argentine Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), has travelled to Cairo for a meeting with Pope Tawadros II in an attempt to repair the rift.

The reason for the visit, according to the Vatican, was to discuss Fiducia Supplicans “and the Coptic Synod’s subsequent statement rejecting it and announcing a suspension of dialogue”.

One of the largest and one of the most influential Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Copts had announced publicly that because of the declaration it would “suspend the theological dialogue with the Catholic Church, re-evaluate the results that the dialogue has achieved since its beginning 20 years ago, and establish new standards and mechanisms for the dialogue to proceed”.

Continued below.

Cardinal Fernández battles to fix rift with Copts over gay blessings document - Catholic Herald

ROME – The Vatican’s doctrinal chief has held talks with the Coptic leader to heal the rift caused by Rome’s decision to provide non-liturgical blessings for same-sex couples. The December declaration Fiducia Supplicans prompted the Coptic Orthodox Church in March to sever ecumenical dialogue...

catholicherald.co.uk

 

[Chrystal-J]

In an interview, the Pope said that Fiducia Supplicans was NOT a blessing of 'the couple'. He's all over the place. He needs to make up his mind.

 

[jas3]

On Fiducia Supplicans, Cardinal Fernández reportedly told Tawadros that the blessings are given to individuals, and not the union itself, explaining that if two people present themselves together, they can be blessed with the Sign of the Cross, but it must be brief, spontaneous, not in a ceremony, without liturgical vestments, and cannot in any way be done in a way that confuses it with marriage.

Cardinal Fernández apparently insisted that these simple and spontaneous blessings can be given in various contexts, and to anyone, regardless of their background.

I'm curious if there is even one instance that we know about where a priest who has violated these requirements has faced any consequences. The whole thing seems like a "wink wink, nudge nudge" to priests who want to give these blessings, making it so that people can only criticize details about how formal or liturgical or marriage-like a blessing is, rather than criticizing the fact that the blessing is being given in the first place.

 

[RileyG]

In an interview, the Pope said that Fiducia Supplicans was NOT a blessing of 'the couple'. He's all over the place. He needs to make up his mind.

Well....it can't be sacramental because God cannot bless sin. I think a lot of his words get lost in translation.