In social media outlets like X and YouTube, many defenders of Fiducia Supplicans express disdainful outrage toward those who object to the document’s promotion of blessings for same sex and other “irregular couples” by condescendingly asking “what’s so wrong about simply blessing a same-sex or other ‘irregular couple’?” Accepting the explanation of the document’s primary intention by Cardinal Fernandez, they also proclaim that such a blessing and “kind outreach” may provide just the right kind of spark that will eventually lead some or perhaps even many of the people who make up these couples to unite themselves more closely with the Lord, so they further ask “why would you want to deprive them of this kindness?”
Interestingly enough, only a few of these defenders of Fiducia Supplicans who mention the hoped-for closer union with Christ also mention that the blessing may lead to repentance, while many more don’t even pay lip service to this most important requirement of any sinner who seeks to be fully reconciled with Our Lord and Savior. Sadly, Fiducia Supplicans itself does not call for the sinners to repent, plus it makes it clear that the intimate lives of these people are not even to be enquired about by a priest in providing the kind of blessing authorized by Fiducia Supplicans, and it is these absences which render the teaching in this document an exercise in egregious pastoral malpractice. Why?
Any two people who make up a same sex or other “irregular couple” are in spiritual critical condition and in danger of losing their immortal souls to Satan should they die without repenting of and changing their mortally sinful ways. As they are in such a spiritual critical condition, the absolutely first and foremost duty of any priest who has the opportunity to do so is to offer them the eternal life saving “surgery and medicine” they need above and beyond anything else of a lesser nature such as a blessing promoted by Fiducia Supplicans in the mere hopes that it will gradually lead the two people to give up their mortally sinful defiance of the Redeemer and finally be reconciled to Him at some point in the future.
Accordingly, because of the immortal dangers involved, it must be recognized that any priest in a position to do so but purposely refuses to immediately offer the much greater blessing of repentance and reconciliation, and instead only offers a much lesser blessing, has shamefully failed as a priest in the true caring of souls even though such an abject failure of priestly duty is authorized by the Pope. And it matters not if the priest and the supporters of his actions vigorously protest to the contrary, it is simply the case that such a priest does not love the sinners nearly enough to offer them the critical healing they need without delay.
Extending the medical and medical malpractice analogies a bit further, imagine coming to a doctor for some dietary advice to help you control your very problematic appetite, and upon noticing something wrong just from your appearance, the doctor conducts a few tests and determines that your appetite has indeed resulted in you being in need of some life-saving surgery and healing medicines right away because any delays in this regard could cost you your life. However, since you only came to the doctor for dietary advice, the doctor says nothing about the dire nature of your condition, but he kindly provides you with an appetite-suppressing prescription in the hopes that the prescription will gradually help you enjoy greater health and not die as a result of the problematic appetite. As the doctor is guilty of egregious medical malpractice in not at least advising you of your seriously dangerous condition and offering the most proper remedy, even more egregious pastoral malpractice is committed by the priest who follows Fiducia Supplicans and does not bother to at least offer a mortally sinful couple what they need most for their immortal souls.
Now, the serious danger of failing to at least offer repentance and reconciliation to a couple in spiritual critical condition may still seem to many to be much ado about nothing, but just imagine a real life scenario wherein two people approach a priest together as a couple, and they both make it clear that they have an ongoing sinful sexual relationship. Following the guidance of Fiducia Supplicans, and instead of offering the greatest “blessing” of repentance and reconciliation, the priest gives them an encouraging blessing in the hopes that such will eventually help lead them away from their mortally sinful status, but he says nothing about their spiritual critical condition. The couple leaves the rectory and both are killed in a car-truck accident a few minutes later. Dying with mortal sin on their souls, they are lost through eternity, and the priest who blessed them without at least offering what they needed most is guilty of unconscionable pastoral malpractice by not properly loving them enough to at least try to give them what they needed above all else and before all else.
Only two legitimate conclusions follow from all of the above: Fiducia Supplicans and the priests it inspires to engage couples who are in spiritual critical condition without at the very least offering them the opportunity to immediately heal their souls are both guilty of unconscionable and shameful pastoral malpractice. Accordingly, all priests who truly care for the immortal souls of people should never practice what Fiducia Supplicans authorizes.
B. Michael Addison is a semi-retired college professor with a Master's Degree in Catholic Theology, a Master's Degree in Economics, and an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Bioethics. He is a life-long Catholic who enjoys writing about all things Catholic as well as current events and the challenges of living Catholic Truth in an increasingly hostile secular world.
