- Feb 5, 2002
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The Vatican was concerned about his lack of theological orthodoxy but the new prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith says ‘everything was resolved serenely.’
VATICAN CITY — Cardinal Gerhard Müller has confirmed the Vatican’s doctrinal office had a file containing theological concerns about Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández, whom Pope Francis last week appointed to head that office.
The file, also confirmed by a second senior Church source, dates to when Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires appointed then-Father Fernández rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina in 2009.
In July 5 comments to the Register, Archbishop Fernández downplayed the file’s contents, saying the Vatican’s concerns related to “accusations” based on his writings “were not of great weight,” and that after an exchange of letters with Vatican officials in which he “clarified” his “true thinking, everything was resolved serenely.”
On July 1, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Fernández, a close papal adviser and purported drafter of some of the most contentious passages of Francis’ apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, a position he will take up in August, brought forward from a previously announced start date of mid-September.
Cardinal Müller, who from 2012 to 2017 was prefect of the dicastery (formerly called the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), told the Register on July 4 that the file had been drawn up sometime in the late 2000s by Archbishop Jean-Louis Bruguès, Secretary at the then-Congregation for Catholic Education, after Cardinal Bergoglio had proposed then-Father Fernández as rector of the university.
The purpose of the file was to supply the CDF with enough information so it could either award or withhold a nihil obstat (nothing stands in the way) declaration — a requirement for any new rector to a Catholic university.
“The CDF is always involved in giving the last word,” Cardinal Müller said. “The Congregation for Catholic Education must therefore ask for the nihil obstat from the CDF, in giving the official yes, so the Church can be absolutely sure there isn’t anything problematic with such an appointment.”
Continued below.
www.ncregister.com
VATICAN CITY — Cardinal Gerhard Müller has confirmed the Vatican’s doctrinal office had a file containing theological concerns about Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández, whom Pope Francis last week appointed to head that office.
The file, also confirmed by a second senior Church source, dates to when Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires appointed then-Father Fernández rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina in 2009.
In July 5 comments to the Register, Archbishop Fernández downplayed the file’s contents, saying the Vatican’s concerns related to “accusations” based on his writings “were not of great weight,” and that after an exchange of letters with Vatican officials in which he “clarified” his “true thinking, everything was resolved serenely.”
On July 1, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Fernández, a close papal adviser and purported drafter of some of the most contentious passages of Francis’ apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, a position he will take up in August, brought forward from a previously announced start date of mid-September.
Cardinal Müller, who from 2012 to 2017 was prefect of the dicastery (formerly called the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), told the Register on July 4 that the file had been drawn up sometime in the late 2000s by Archbishop Jean-Louis Bruguès, Secretary at the then-Congregation for Catholic Education, after Cardinal Bergoglio had proposed then-Father Fernández as rector of the university.
The purpose of the file was to supply the CDF with enough information so it could either award or withhold a nihil obstat (nothing stands in the way) declaration — a requirement for any new rector to a Catholic university.
“The CDF is always involved in giving the last word,” Cardinal Müller said. “The Congregation for Catholic Education must therefore ask for the nihil obstat from the CDF, in giving the official yes, so the Church can be absolutely sure there isn’t anything problematic with such an appointment.”
Continued below.
Cardinal Müller Confirms Vatican Doctrinal Office Had File Warning About Archbishop Fernández
The Vatican was concerned about his lack of theological orthodoxy but the new prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith says ‘everything was resolved serenely.’
