"I'm interested in theology speaking to today's people," declared Víctor Manuel Fernández.
The new head of one of the most important Vatican offices, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Víctor Manuel Fernández, is preparing for a difficult task. In an interview published in the Italian daily La Repubblica on Sunday, he detailed the work ahead of him and said that the church is deliberately not in a hurry to innovate in its teachings.
With the Argentinian theologian Fernández, who was appointed on July 1st, a Latin American archpriest became the head of the Congregation for Religion for the first time.
Only once in the history of the church has it happened that the important doctrinal institution was led by a non-European, between 2005 and 2012, in the person of the American Cardinal William Joseph Levada. Famous theologians such as Joseph Ratzinger, the later XVI. Pope Benedict.
Víctor Manuel Fernández stated that when Pope Francis called for changes in the work of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith upon his appointment a week ago, he indicated that the maintenance of Catholic doctrine should not be based on control, sanctioning or prohibition. Instead of these, the teaching of the church must be better understood - added the new prefect. He emphasized that this can be achieved not only through dialogue between theologians, but also through intensive contact with the world.
"I'm interested in theology speaking to today's people," declared Víctor Manuel Fernández.
When asked whether he represents the so-called progressive wing of the church, he answered: "Neither the Pope nor I feel that the progressive epithet fits us, because it usually suggests superficiality, a passionate search for change at all costs, the contempt for the wealth left to us by history, as if the new is always better than the old”.
He believes that he will not have an easy task at the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, because there are those who want to dictate one-way Christian thinking and not accept that there are "other emphases, other concerns". He did not rule out that some people in his work will "want to get him into trouble by any means possible."
Regarding the previous provision of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which forbade the blessing of gay couples, Víctor Manuel Fernández said that the possibility of "clarifying and improving" this decision remains open.
Cases of sexual abuse committed against minors by members of the church also fall under the jurisdiction of the Religious Congregation. Víctor Manuel Fernández emphasized that the issue is of prime importance from the point of view of the Church's authenticity.
Regarding the role of women in the church, he explained that strengthening their presence is not the same as consecrating female priests.
MTI
