Bishop Daly: Regarding ‘Fiducia Supplicans’
Dear Faithful of Eastern Washington,
The Declaration issued on December 18 by the Vatican Dicastery of the Doctrine of Faith (DDF), Fiducia Supplicans affirms the unchanging Church teachings and doctrine—given to us by divine revelation, affirmed in the Scriptures and evident in natural law—that marriage can only exist between one man and one woman, with an openness to children.
Because of this, the Declaration affirms that any sexual relations outside of marriage, including relationships between persons of the same sex, "cannot be compared to marriage in any way,” and thus could not be blessed in the context of liturgy and cannot be related to a wedding or civil union in any way to “avoid any form of confusion.”
The Declaration also seeks to broaden the scope of blessing individuals for “pastoral” reasons, so long as such blessings are informal and spontaneous, with no connection to ritual or liturgical rites in any form. Such blessings do not approve of any immoral actions or relationships and are given at the discretion of the priest.
There is no sinner that is too far from the Love of the Father. The document states, “The Church is thus the sacrament of God’s infinite love. Therefore, even when a person’s relationship with God is clouded by sin, he can always ask for a blessing, stretching out his hand to God, as Peter did in the storm when he cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me!” (Mt. 14:30). (FS, 43)
The blessing established in Fiducia Supplicans does not legitimatize any same-sex unions. All blessings of any kind are simply opportunities accessible to “all who seek [the Father] with a sincere heart” (Eucharistic Prayer IV) to encounter His Grace and to continually conform their life to Jesus Christ and His Gospel.
Fiducia Supplicans can be found online by visiting: https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20231218_fiducia-supplicans_en.html
The relevant 2021 Responsum can also be found online by visiting: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2021/03/15/210315b.html
Respectfully yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Thomas A. Daly
Bishop of Spokane, Washington
