Msgr. Hans Feichtinger, an official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2004 to 2012, has critiqued Fiducia Supplicans, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s declaration on the pastoral meaning of blessings,
Msgr. Feichtinger, a German diocesan priest who ministers in Canada, said he is amazed at “how the responses to it still seem to be under-perceived, downplayed, or ignored ... Ignoring the vehemence and the reasons behind these reactions is not the way forward. Neither is it promising to continue demanding that people just read the text again.”
“The lack of consultation among bishops and priests in the process of elaborating this text is tragic, revealing, and a bit terrifying,” he continued. “Becoming a ‘more synodal’ Church cannot mean creating an ever less synodal Vatican. Neither must it mean excluding priests (in parish ministry) at the degree we see currently at the Synod of Bishops 2023-24 (otherwise significantly enlarged with laypeople and religious).”
“I am not convinced this document can be salvaged by more explanations trying to make up for its lack of lucidity,” he added. “It will be hard to live with it if it simply remains in place. The way forward is to admit mistakes were made, also because synodal traditions of the Roman Curia were not observed, and thus give an example of how synodality itself is only fruitful if it is faithful.”