By Vincent Uba

Since the declaration of the Fiducia supplicans on Catholics by the Pope, not only the Catholic Church has been thrown into confusion and uncertainty, but also Christians and other religious bodies who see Catholic Church as leading in the dissemination of good moral values and principles. Questions as to the infallibility dogma of the Holy Father have become rife.

Fears, rather than confidence in the leadership of the Catholic Church, are now widely expressed. Some Catholic faithul, who hitherto have been proud of their faith, are now becoming downcast and divided in their minds as to whether to continue to remain in the Catholic Church to practice their Christian faith or not.

This is negating the solemn prayers of our Lord Jesus Christ that the Church should be one, “I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” – John 17: 20-21,

I have been thinking and wondering of the spiritual motive behind this controversial fiducia supplicans, which I would say is “one declaration, too many”. Me thinks that the decisions of the Pope should be such that will build and deepen Catholic beliefs to enhance spirituality and strengthen Christian values as well geard towards making the Church to be one and not the other way round.

This particular decision or declaration has become one that is not only capable of making some Catholics become vulnerable to sin, but also dividing the Catholic Church. It is a declaration that could make some Catholics abondon the church and embrace other Christian faith.

One of the reasons for the declaration of the Fiducia Supplicans is that Priests should not be rigid in the observation or upholding of certain Catholic doctrines. Though I agree with this to an extent, but should Priests be flexible to the point of not achieving repentance of the souls of the faithful but encouraging them in their sinful acts ?

I believe that Priests, in their spiritual vocation and calling, have the spiritual anointing and wisdom to know when to be flexible and when to be rigid. Take the case of our Lord Jesus Christ who was not rigid in avoiding the tax collectors and sinners, but flexible in his relationship with them such that it gave rise to their change and repentance.

It is my view that rigidity and flexibility should be left to the descretion and wisdom of the Priests in their respective environment, culture and traditions, so that you do not become flexible to the point of emboldening sinners to continue to sin. As I reason the rationality or otherwise of the fiducia supplicans, my mind went to what St Paul said, “For if any one sees you, a man of knowledge, at table in idol’s temple, might he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols. And so by your knowledge this weak man is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus sinning against your brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food is a cause of my brother’s falling, I will never eat meat, lest I cause my brother to fall” – 1Corrinthians 8: 10-13.

Fiducian supplicans metaphorically not only runs counter to St Paul’s declaration in the above statement, but also not in agreement with the book of Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination”. Furthermore he said, “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them” – Leviticus 20:13, which outrightly condemns some aspects of the practices that Fiducia supplicans allows Priests not to be rigid on.

I find it very difficult to reconcile the fiducia Supplicans with the book of 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10, which says “Neither the immoral, nor idolators, nor adulterers, …nor homosexuals will inherit the kingdom of God” and Romans 1:26-28, “For this reason, God gave them up to dishonourable passions. Their women exchanged their natural relationship for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relationship with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error. And since they did not seem fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct”.

In the light of the above, I would humbly beg and pray for a review of the fiducia supplicans, if anything 1. For the sake of not emboldening sinners to continue to sin; 2. For the sake of encouraging non-catholics/non- Christians who may wish to convert to Christianity on the belief that Catholics/Christians are custodians of good moral values and principles; 3. For the sake of strengthening the Church and maintaining unity amongst the Catholic Church with a view to making the Church of Christ to be one and 4. For the sake of not allowing Catholics to abondon their faith for other Christian denominations.

Vincent G Uba Former President Catholic Brothers United ,St Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland Lagos.