This recent article in What We Need Now is an excellent summary of the problems encountered with Fiducia Supplicans, or the Declaration of Blessings which includes blessing of homosexual couples and others in irregular relationships. It is written by Rev. Peter M. Stravinskas. I recommend this article as a good nutshell analysis of the situation and the scandal it has caused, and will cause.
“Just as the Declaration is intent on setting context for the document, I think context is also important in our current consideration of it. The context is the decade-long campaign of this pontificate to undermine the moral theology carefully enunciated in the magisterium of Pope St. John Paul II, found in his “theology of the body,” and in texts like Familiaris Consortio, Veritatis Splendor, and Evangelium Vitae. But a few examples:
He then gives context of this papacy which led to the declaration. He concludes by saying:
“Pope St. Leo the Great, in a Christmas homily, which we read each year in the Divine Office for the same feast, moves beyond the idea of the human person made in the divine image and makes even more precise St. Paul’s injunction to issue this stirring exhortation to greatness of soul:
‘Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of God’s kingdom.
‘Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.’
Leo raises the stakes and instructs his hearers that not only are their sexual sins offenses against their Holy Spirit-temple-bodies but also against Christ Himself, who is Head of that Body of which they are members by virtue of their baptism. Thus, we Christians have a natural, human dignity, to which is added a supernatural dignity. Leo’s successor, Benedict XVI, challenged us: “The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.”
My first course for the licentiate of sacred theology at the wonderful Dominican House of Studies in Washington was taught by the inimitable biblicist, Father Francis Martin.
The first week of that semester coincided with Pope John Paul II’s removal of the license to teach Catholic theology from Father Charles Curran for his obstinate refusal to align his positions with those of immemorial Catholic moral theology.
An Episcopal cleric in the class asked Father Martin, “Are you embarrassed with the Pope’s action against arguably the most prominent theologian in the country?”
Father Martin replied, “People say that Charlie Curran is a nice guy.” He went on: “We Charismatics love the line, ‘Jesus is Lord.’ But what does that mean? It means that He must be the Lord of all of me—of my head, my eyes, my ears, my heart—and, yes, even of my genitals. It’s that last point that Charlie Curran has trouble understanding.” In truth, it is not possible to carve out areas removed from the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And that is the freedom, to which and for which Christ has made us free (see Gal 5:1).
And that is the fundamental problem with this document—and of much of this pontificate. What we need now is a return to the clarity of teaching that was once a hallmark of the Vatican.”
The whole article is here.