Exactly a year ago, on December 18, 2023, the Holy See announced the doctrinal declaration “Fiducia supplicans” on the blessing of monosexual couples. This is the most controversial papal paper in the past of the Catholic Church.
The declaration “Fiducia supplicans” was prepared by the prefect of the Dicastery of the religion of Cardinals. Victor Manuel Fernández. He published it with the explicit consent of the Holy Father. The text introduces novum: the anticipation of blessing homosexual couples. The declaration “Fiducia supplicans” made it clear: the Catholic Church does not recognise homosexual “marriage” but allows priests to bless “pairs” of the same sex that ask for it. The paper emphasized that it was not a liturgical blessing, but a fresh category, introduced specifically for this purpose: extraliturgical blessings.
In respective later statements, Pope Francis argued that the “Fiducia supplicans” allows for the blessing of “individuals” but not “a homosexual union”. However, the text of the declaration speaks explicitly of ‘pairs’. "Blessing for same-sex couples" is the phrase mentioned respective times in the text; the declaration does not mention the separate blessing of individuals. There is so no uncertainty that the paper is not about blessing individual members of a couple, but about blessing a couple as a couple. Since being a single-sex couple cannot be separated from a homosexual relationship, which is the binder of specified a connecting pair, we are dealing with the de facto blessing of single-sex relationships, but in liturgy.
The publication “Fiducia supplicans” led to the top crisis of trust in the past of the Catholic Church in the Holy See. Many episcopals around the planet after December 18, 2023 announced that they did not agree to introduce blessings to homosexual couples in their countries. All countries of the alleged Black Africa, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Holland (sic) and part of France (sic) can be mentioned. On the another hand, many countries have done the other by accepting papal teaching. These include Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Spain or most of France. As a consequence of the publication “Fiducia supplicans” there has been a clear divided in 2 parts in the Catholic Church: the 1 that remains faithful to the conventional Catholic doctrine on homosexual relations and the 1 that the old discipline explicitly rejects or relativates, adopting a fresh approach to single-sex unions.
It is no coincidence that the situation in the English Commonwealth is very similar. The Liberal Anglicans from England introduced the liturgical blessings of LGBT couples a fewer days before the Vatican. They had announced this step before and as a consequence there was a division: conservative Anglicans from global countries The South rejected their decision.
The publication "Fiducia supplicans" besides led to an unprecedented crisis in ecumenical dialog with Orthodoxy. The paper on the blessing of single-sex couples categorically criticized the Russian Church. The Copts besides cut off from him, deciding to suspend dialog with the Catholic Church. According to the African bishops, the text besides hindered missionary efforts in their countries, as Pentecostal Protestants and Muslims recognized that Vatican had departed from natural law.
In Poland, we function calmly as if there was no crisis. Only 1 case of blessing of monosexual couples by Fr. Prof. Adam Świeżyński is publically known. The priest did so in the Calvinist congregation in Warsaw. He was not openly reproved by any of the bishops, but most likely privately, as he later did not manifest akin actions. Besides, nothing happened anymore. respective Polish bishops attended the October synodal session, but in public statements after the synod did not comment on the question of "unity in diversity".
This is possible for now, due to the fact that otherwise than in the case of the Anglicans, where common contacts were broken, unity was preserved in the Catholic Church. Bishops from either country did not decide on schism; no 1 was excommunicated due to opposition to "Fiducia supplicans". In January 2024 Pope Francis and Cardinal Fernández announced that although the full Church should accept the blessings of homosexual couples, at this phase it would not force itself to do so. "Unity in diversity" prevailed: everyone does what they want in this matter.
The rule itself is not new, due to the fact that the “unity in diversity” has been in effect since 2016, erstwhile the adhoration “Amoris laetitia” was announced regarding the admission of holy divorcees to Communion in fresh relationships. However, due to the vague language of this document, it was possible to keep that the differences between bishops arise solely from a different explanation of this text. In the case of the "Fiducia supplicans" there is no more interpretations, due to the fact that the papal will was rendered black and white.
Therefore, on December 18, 2023, it could be recognized as the symbolic founding date of the Synod Church, which is based on doctrinal, moral and pastoral diversity. On October 26, 2024, the Roman Synod on Synodality published the “Final Document” which confirms specified foundations of the diversity of the Synod Church.
Paweł Chmielewski
