Ukraine: The Greek Catholic Church Opposes Fiducia supplicans

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is an Eastern  Catholic Church with approximately six million faithful and which, being the largest in Ukraine, is often identified as “Ukrainian Catholic.” 

The statement specifies that this intervention is made “in response to numerous appeals from  bishops, clergy, monastics, ecclesiastical movements and individual lay people of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church regarding the Declaration of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) “Fiducia supplicans,” (December 18, 2023) on the pastoral meaning of blessings, after consulting with relevant experts and competent institutions.”

The basic Reasons

Patriarch Sviatoslav explains that “the meaning of the word blessing is different in the UGCC and in the Latin Church.” He goes on to clarify that “according to the traditions of the Byzantine Rite, the concept of 'blessing' means approval, permission or even an order for a specific type of action, prayer, and ascetic practices, including certain types of fasting and prayer.”

“Certainly, the blessing of a priest always has an evangelizing and catechetical dimension and, therefore, can in no way contradict the teaching of the Catholic Church about the family as a faithful, indissoluble, and fruitful union of love between a man and a woman, which Our Lord Jesus Christ elevated to the dignity of the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony.”

The Reason for Form

The patriarch also explains that the Declaration (of the DDF) “does not address questions of Catholic faith or morality, refer to any precepts of the Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches (CCEO), or refer to Eastern Christians.”

However, head of the UGCC points out, as this Roman text does not concern faith or morals, “on the basis of Canon 1492 of the CCEO, this Declaration applies solely to the Latin Church.” The primate therefore logically concludes that “the Declaration has no legal force for the faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.” And he adds that neither does it “refer to Eastern Christians” in general.

Conclusion

It should be noted the reaction of the Orthodox world as expressed by the words of Metropolitan Hilarion, is very negative. Without a doubt, Greek Catholics will have a similar attitude toward the text.

After that of the African Catholic world, this second negative reaction was perfectly predictable. Did Cardinal Manuel Fernandez, prefect of the DDF, fail to anticipate these reactions? Or at least underestimate them? Both attitudes show a marked lack of prudence.

It is more likely that he was contemptuous of them. This latter attitude is reflected in his responses in an interview given to Religion Digital. He says: “It seems strange to me that such a classic text could be misinterpreted. He blesses the couple, these two people who present themselves, but not the union itself. This seems to be a topic that causes hives.”

Conclusion

Il faut noter la réaction du monde orthodoxe qui a trouvé une expression dans les propos du métropolite Hilarion, réaction très négative. A n’en pas douter, les grec-catholiques auront le même rejet du texte comme cette première réaction le montre. S’ils l’approuvaient, ce serait une catastrophe vis-à-vis de leurs fidèles.

Après celle du monde catholique africain, cette seconde réaction était parfaitement prévisible. Le cardinal Manuel Fernandez, préfet du DDF aurait-il manqué d’anticiper ces réactions ? A moins qu’il ne lest ait négligées ? les deux attitudes étant un manque caractérisé de prudence.

Il est plus probable qu’il les ait méprisées. Cette dernière attitude transparaît ses réponses d’un entretien donné à Religion Digital. Il dit ainsi : « Il me semble étrange qu’un texte aussi classique puisse être mal interprété. Il bénit le couple, ces deux personnes qui se présentent, mais pas l’union elle-même. Il semble que ce soit un sujet qui provoque de l’urticaire. »

Une “démangeaison”, voilà comment le préfet qualifie ces réactions catholiques qui représentent des millions de fidèles, des milliers de prêtres et des centaines d’évêques. Et il trouve étrange qu’ils aient si mal interprété un « texte aussi classique ». A n’en pas douter, c’est lui qui devrait se poser des questions.