Ghostwriter of Amoris Laetitia, authored book on ‘art’ of kissing…
Francis appoints ‘Abp.’ Victor Manuel Fernandez to head Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
Breaking news out of Rome: Another fox has been put in charge of the henhouse.
The July 1, 2023 news bulletin released by the Vatican press office announces the appointment of Victor Manuel Fernandez (b. 1962), currently the ‘Archbishop’ of La Plata, Argentina, as the new Prefect of the so-called Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF):
The Holy Father Francis has thanked the Most Eminent Card. Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer, S.J., at the conclusion of his mandate as Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and of the International Theological Commission, and has called to succeed him in the same offices His Most Reverend Excellency Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández, until now Archbishop of La Plata (Argentina). He will take over the duties in mid-September 2023.
(Bollettino; translation by DeepL)
The Vatican-supplied curriculum vitae of Fernandez notes:
Among books and scholarly articles, he has more than 300 publications, many of them translated into various languages. These writings show an important biblical basis and a constant effort to dialogue theology with culture, evangelizing mission, spirituality and social issues.
Although the bulletin lists a lot of books Fernandez has published, his infamous Heal Me With Your Mouth: The Art of Kissing (Sáname con tu Boca: El Arte de Besar, 1995) is not among them:
In 2016, Italian Vaticanist Sandro Magister discovered Fernandez as the ghostwriter of large portions of Amoris Laetitia, Francis’ scandalous post-synodal ‘apostolic exhortation’ that permits unrepentant public adulterers to receive Holy Communion, redefines sin as an imperfect or incomplete realization of holiness, and blasphemously claims that in some cases it may be God’s will to continue adulterous relations:
- The Jorge Whisperer: Key Amoris Laetitia Passages found in 10-Year-Old Articles from V. M. Fernandez
- Amoris Laetitia: The Highlights
- Amoris Laetitia Chaos Watch
- TRADCAST 013: The Amoris Laetitia Super Show
- Amoris Laetitia and Concrete Cases: Refutation of Austen Ivereigh
The challenge to Francis’ exhortation posed by Raymond Burke and three other Novus Ordo cardinals, two of whom are already deceased, remains unanswered to this day. Francis has simply refused to grant them their requested audience since 2016.
From the beginning of his false pontificate, ‘Pope’ Francis has shown a special appreciation of Victor Manuel Fernandez. A mere two months after his election, Bergoglio made him ‘archbishop’, even though he was merely the rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, that is, he was not appointed to oversee a diocese. It was strictly meant as a personal honor.
At 61 years of age, Fernandez is relatively young. In his new role, he will formally serve as the ‘guardian of orthodoxy’. His task will be to watch over the purity of Novus Ordo (‘Catholic’) doctrine around the globe, ensuring that no one deviates from the teachings of the Vatican II Church, especially the magisterium of its current ‘Pope’.
In a special letter to Fernandez, included in the publication of today’s Vatican bulletin, ‘Pope’ Francis explains how he envisions the new Prefect of the DDF to exercise the office entrusted to him. In typical Modernist lingo, Bergoglio makes clear that he wants him to destroy the remnants of Catholic theology as shrewdly and effectively as possible.
Since the Vatican bulletin for July 1 has not yet been released in English [UPDATE: English version now posted], we present an automated translation of the letter courtesy of DeepL:
Letter of the Holy Father to the new Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
To His Most Reverend Excellency
Bishop Victor Manuel FernandezVatican City, July 1, 2023
Dear Brother,
As the new Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, I entrust to you a task that I consider very valuable. Its central purpose is to guard the teaching that flows from the faith in order to “give reason for our hope, but not as enemies who point out and condemn”[1].
The Dicastery over which you will preside in other times came to use immoral methods. Those were times when, rather than promoting theological knowledge, possible doctrinal errors were pursued. What I expect from you is certainly something very different.
You were dean of the Faculty of Theology of Buenos Aires, president of the Argentine Society of Theology and president of the Commission of Faith and Culture of the Argentine Episcopate, in all cases voted by your peers, who have thus valued your theological charisma. As rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina you encouraged a healthy integration of knowledge. On the other hand, you were parish priest of “Santa Teresita” and until now Archbishop of La Plata, where you knew how to put theological knowledge in dialogue with the life of the holy People of God.
Since a specific Section has recently been created for disciplinary matters – especially related to the abuse of minors – with very competent professionals, I ask you, as Prefect, to dedicate your personal commitment more directly to the main purpose of the Dicastery, which is “to guard the faith”[2].
In order not to limit the significance of this task, it should be added that it is a matter of “increasing the intelligence and transmission of the faith at the service of evangelization, so that its light may be a criterion for understanding the meaning of existence, especially in the face of the questions raised by the progress of science and the development of society”[3]. These questions, taken up in a renewed proclamation of the Gospel message, “become instruments of evangelization”[4], because they allow us to enter into conversation with “the present context in what is unprecedented for the history of humanity”[5].
5] Moreover, you know that the Church “needs to grow in her interpretation of the revealed Word and in her understanding of truth”[6] without this implying the imposition of a single way of expressing it. For “different lines of philosophical, theological and pastoral thought, if they allow themselves to be harmonized by the Spirit in respect and love, can also make the Church grow”[7]. This harmonious growth will preserve Christian doctrine more effectively than any mechanism of control.
It is good that your task expresses that the Church “encourages the charism of theologians and their effort for theological research” as long as “they are not content with a desk theology”[8], with “a cold and hard logic that seeks to dominate everything”[9]. It will always be true that reality is superior to the idea. In this sense, we need theology to be attentive to a fundamental criterion: that of considering “inadequate any theological conception that ultimately casts doubt on God’s omnipotence and, in particular, on his mercy”[10]. We need a way of thinking that can convincingly present a God who loves, who forgives, who saves, who liberates, who promotes people and calls them to fraternal service.
This happens if “the proclamation concentrates on the essential, which is the most beautiful, the greatest, the most attractive and at the same time the most necessary”[11]. You know well that there is a harmonious order among the truths of our message, where the greatest danger occurs when secondary issues end up overshadowing the central ones.
In the context of this richness, your task also implies a special care to ensure that the documents of your own Dicastery and others have an adequate theological foundation, are coherent with the rich soil of the Church’s perennial teaching and at the same time embrace the recent Magisterium.
May the Blessed Virgin protect and watch over you in this new mission. Please do not cease to pray for me.
Fraternally,
Francis
We have skipped the footnotes, which are almost all just references to Francis’ own words in prior documents.
A lot can and should be said about what Francis says in this letter to his “brother”, but we will reserve commentary for a future post. [Now available here: Dicastery for the Destruction of the Faith: Bergoglio issues Game Plan to his Doctrinal Undertaker]
As head of the DDF (formerly CDF, or Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith), Fernandez succeeds ‘Cardinal’ Luis Ladaria Ferrer, who in turn succeeded Gerhard Ludwig Müller (2017), who replaced William Levada (2012), who succeeded Joseph Ratzinger (2005). Before Ratzinger the CDF heads were Franjo Šeper (1981) and Alfredo Ottaviani (1968).
In true Catholicism, the doctrinal dicastery is called the Holy Office, and its head is always the Pope, since he is the chief guardian of the Faith simply in virtue of being the Supreme Teacher of all Catholics, which status he derives from his primacy over the whole Church. This was changed by ‘Pope’ Paul VI in 1965.
To summarize today’s big news from Rome: The theological freak show at the Vatican will continue at full blast for years to come.
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