Not that long ago, Vatican documents that miss the mark would have angered me. Now, I see them more as tragic events. Such is the case with
Fiducia Supplicans,
a Declaration recently issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith. The document’s supposed aim was to clarify contested issues and heal rifts in the Catholic communion. It failed in both regards. How the laity and clergy have received the document around the world is a bad omen for how we handle divisive issues in the Catholic Church, issues that have broken up other churches.