Pope Leo XIV received Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising and coordinator of the Council for the Economy, and Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, in audience this Wednesday, during a day of meetings that comes just five days after the publication of the letter from 26 German priests questioning Marx’s decision to promote in his archdiocese the controversial guidelines on blessings for couples in irregular situations, including same-sex couples.
The Holy See Press Office limited itself to reporting the audiences held, without providing details on the matters discussed in each of them.
The letter that has placed Marx at the center of the controversy
The 26 priests of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising sent a letter to Cardinal Marx last May expressing their doubts about the application of the German national guidelines, considering that they contradict the Church’s teaching and go beyond what is provided for in the declaration Fiducia supplicans.
In his response, Marx proposed applying the guidelines for one year as a pilot experience before evaluating the results together with the clergy. The signatories, however, warned that if the archbishop’s explanations are not satisfactory, they will consider going directly to the Holy See to request clarification.
The role of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
The presence of Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández on the Pontiff’s agenda adds interest to the day, as the dicastery he heads published the declaration Fiducia supplicans in 2023, which allows spontaneous and brief blessings for people in irregular situations, excluding any rite that could resemble a marriage celebration, and which has been the source of multiple interpretations since its publication.
In addition, last May the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith made public a letter sent in November 2024 to the German bishops in which it raised various objections to the draft guidelines that the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising now intends to implement.
Leo XIV’s position
It is worth recalling that, during the press conference on the return flight from his apostolic journey to Africa, Leo XIV stated that the Holy See “does not agree with the formalized blessing of couples”, insisting that any practice that goes beyond what is provided for in Fiducia supplicans “can cause more division than unity”.
Other audiences of the day
In addition to Marx and Fernández, the Pope received the president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), Monsignor Giordano Piccinotti; the Auditor General of the Holy See, Alessandro Cassinis Righini; and the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development, Sister Alessandra Smerilli, accompanied by Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Pro-Prefect of the same dicastery.