By Jennifer Roback Morse, Christian Post Op-Ed Contributor, January 15, 2024
My friends at the Christian Post have asked for my insights, as a faithful Roman Catholic, regarding the recent Vatican document Fiducia Supplicans. I am honored to be asked. The Vatican’s recent actions have caused tremendous confusion. All of us who are committed to traditional Christian sexual morality must keep our wits about us if we are to navigate this mess.
The Sexual Revolution is intrinsically seductive. The Revolution claims that people can have all the sex they want, under any circumstances they want, and nothing bad will happen. Lots of people would like to believe this, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The Sexual Revolution has corrupted every authority structure in the West: political, educational, academic, all the professions, and yes, pretty much all the major religious structures.
I remember what the Episcopalians went through when their leadership insisted on ordaining homosexually active men and even consecrating an openly gay man as bishop. The denomination split. In many cases, the most traditional members lost their church property. Many placed themselves under the authority of African bishops. I thought to myself, “our brothers and sisters are in agony.”
Now, it is our turn to suffer.
Sola Scriptura has not protected you from the ravages of the Sexual Revolution. Papal infallibility has not protected us. I conclude that unless a person or institution specifically and intentionally resists the Sexual Revolution, it will sweep you away.
Some Catholics are taking comfort from the idea that the doctrine reaffirms important points of Christian teaching. And that is technically correct. But no one needed a new 5,000-word document to reaffirm things that could have been stated in less than 100 words.
The remaining 4,900 words were weasel words. The weasel words are the point of the document. In my opinion, this document is psychological warfare, a psy op, one more psychological operation in an ongoing campaign to disarm opposition to the Sexual Revolution.
Let me be as clear as I possibly can about how Catholics understand themselves and their church.
Pope Francis has not changed the teaching of the Church BECAUSE He does not have the authority to change the teaching of the Church.
Technically this document does not meet the very high threshold required for a papal pronouncement to be “infallible.” In that legalistic sense, Pope Francis has not changed the teaching of the Church on homosexual acts and the definition of marriage. I predict he will not cross that line. However, this document has changed the allowable pastoral practice so much, that our counter-cultural, life-giving teaching is obscured.
Sadly, this is not the only instance in which the gap between Catholic doctrine and Catholic practice has left us in bad shape. On paper, the Catholic Church maintains the biblical prohibition on divorce and remarriage. On paper, the Catholic Church maintains the ancient and universal Christian prohibition on contraception. But Catholic practice in both these areas is barely distinguishable from the rest of society.
About the Ruth Institute
The Ruth Institute is a global non-profit organization, leading an international interfaith coalition to defend the family and build a civilization of love.
Jennifer Roback Morse has a Ph.D. in economics and has taught at Yale and George Mason University. She is the author of The Sexual State and Love and Economics – It Takes a Family to Raise a Village.
To get more information or schedule an interview with Dr. Morse, contact media@ruthinstitute.org.
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