The beloved former bishop of Tyler, Texas, Joseph Strickland, who was recently removed from his post by Pope Francis, has added his signature to the Filial Appeal published last Friday urging cardinals and bishops of the Catholic Church to take steps against Fiducia Supplicans, the Vatican’s recent document approving the blessing of homosexual “couples.”
The appeal had first been signed by some 90 clergymen, scholars, and authors and was published on February 2, the feast of Candlemas, but more priests and scholars are invited to sign their name by writing to filialappeal@gmail.com. The additional list will be published on February 17, and will now also include the name of Bishop Strickland.
So far, LifeSiteNews can report that over 300 additional priests and scholars have enthusiastically signed the appeal since its publication.
After signing the appeal by e-mail, Strickland took to X (formerly Twitter) to make his support for the appeal public, inviting others to join the resistance: “I join my voice to those who have signed this letter. Let us pray that many others will speak up as well.”
The text of the appeal first analyzes the Vatican document and firmly rejects the allowance of the blessing of homosexual “couples” and couples in irregular situations. “The concrete sign that is given with such blessing,” the authors write, “in front of the whole world, is that ‘irregular couples,’ extramarital and homosexual alike, according to the Catholic Church, would now be acceptable to God, precisely in the type of union that specifically configures them as couples.”
The Filial Appeal bemoans that Fiducia Supplicans, which was published December 18 of last year, effectively sets forth a new doctrine regarding homosexual and irregular couples, by stating:
The fact is that a priest is imparting a blessing on two people who present themselves as a couple, in the sexual sense, and precisely a couple defined by its objectively sinful relationship. Therefore — regardless of the intentions and interpretations of the document, or the explanations the priest may try to give — this action will be the visible and tangible sign of a different doctrine, which contradicts traditional doctrine.
Among the signatories are numerous clergymen, scholars, and journalists, as well as several members of the Pontifical Academy for Life that have been removed from their positions by Pope Francis.
These names include: Dr. John Ward, Judie Brown, and Christine Marcellus Vollmer. It also includes Thomas Pink, professor of philosophy at King’s College in London; Regis Martin, professor of dogmatic and systematic theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville; and Michael Pakaluk, professor of ethics and social philosophy at the Catholic University of America.
At the end of their statement, the signatories ask the cardinals and bishops to “follow the brave example of so many brother bishops around the world: please forbid immediately the application of this document in your diocese.” In addition, they ask the prelates to “please ask directly the Pope to urgently withdraw this unfortunate document, which is in contradiction with both Scripture and the universal and uninterrupted Tradition of the Church and which clearly produces a serious scandal.”
The Filial Appeal has been widely published in different languages and by different websites, including the websites of Edward Pentin, Marco Tosatti, Aldo Maria Valli, La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, and Crisis Magazine. It has also gained international attention, with coverage from Newsweek and the German bishops’ official website Katholisch.de.
On February 5, Steve Bannon interviewed LifeSiteNews Editor-in-Chief John-Henry Westen on the publication of the Filial Appeal and the global reaction to the Pope’s document on blessings for same-sex and “irregular” unions.
Pastors, clergy, scholars, professors, doctors, and other qualified individuals who still wish to add their signatures may still do so for the next two weeks. Please provide your name, qualifications, position, and location by February 15th, to filialappeal@gmail.com. A definitive list of cumulative signatories will then be published on February 17.
Laypeople of all walks of life who wish to express their resistance to this new Vatican document have still the opportunity to sign LifeSite’s own petition against Fiducia Supplicans, which has gained more than 20,000 signatures.