Cdl. Fernandez Blames 'Ultra-Conservatives' for Misusing Book
"I regret that the ultra-conservative sectors that do not accept me have used this book and have spread it widely."
Vatican doctrine chief Cdl. Victor Manuel Fernandez is blaming right-wing Catholics for attacks on his controversial book, Mystical Passion, which some have called "porno-theology" for its graphic discussion of orgasms, genitalia and sexuality.
His comments came after OSV News asked him to respond to sex abuse victims disturbed by the contents of his 1998 book.
Abuse survivor Faith Hakesley, whom we interviewed in January, called the book "absolutely nauseating."
In remarks to Stella Maris Media, she said, "Fernandez’s response is deeply troubling but also seems so typical of him. He’s not taking responsibility, he’s being dismissive, and he is gaslighting yet again."
Mystical Passion was reportedly inspired by the "mystical encounter" of a 16-year-old girl with Our Lord, which involved sensual caresses all over His body before they kiss on the lips, as the Blessed Mother stands by approving.
"What I read suggests both spiritual abuse and sexual grooming," said Faith in her Jan. 19th interview. "I know that in many cases of clerical abuse, including my own, sometimes priests have used this false mysticism in order to make it sound as if it's ok."
"My own rapist would talk about holy things while he was abusing me," she continued. "He would pray with me while he was abusing me."
"OSV News shared with Cardinal Fernández a link to the full text of its interview with Hakesley and [abuse victim] Pitt Green and asked the cardinal for his specific thoughts on their concerns.
Writing in Spanish, he replied, 'I agree that by today’s standards it is an inconvenient book. In fact, I myself realized this 25 years ago, a few months after its publication and ordered it to be withdrawn because it seemed to me that it did not have the usefulness I had imagined, and that very young or very old people could get confused.'
'Moreover, I bought the few copies that were available in some bookstores and destroyed them,' the cardinal wrote. 'That is why I regret that the ultra-conservative sectors that do not accept me have used this book and have spread it widely. It is totally against my will and no good is done with this. Today, I would write something very different.'"
In fact, Fernandez admits he burned the books after they were published. He also clarified that the age of the girl referenced in the book was "imaginary, because this was in a small parish in the interior of the country, and I did not want anyone to be able to deduce who the person was."
The cardinal failed to respond to concerns that the contents of his book are similar to language used by priestly abusers to groom victims by desensitizing them to violations of sexual boundaries.
Neither did he address whether his book would violate the U.S. bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People and its standards for preventing sex abuse.
Critics have noted that this is especially concerning because Fernandez heads up the dicastery responsible for overseeing cases of sexual predation and abuse.
"Fernandez is deflecting responsibility to those who have a negative response to his writing — much as abusers deflect blame onto their victims. Clearly he has learned nothing from the sex abuse scandal in the Church," said Faith in recent remarks to Stella Maris Media.
"Of further concern is the fact that Fernandez has other concerning work out there that hasn’t even been widely addressed," she noted.
While Cdl. Fernandez claims he stopped writing about such topics after 1998, other more recent quotes have surfaced revealing this to be false.
According to NewDailyCompass, several writings from 2002 and 2004, when the cardinal was more than 40 years old, once again show a preoccupation with sensuality, sexuality, orgasms and genitals.
And another book that gained notoriety is Heal Me With Your Mouth: The Art of Kissing, which includes, among other things, poetry written by then-priest Fr. Fernandez:
Come down my dear
before you awaken
suddenly
someone desperate
with a terrible hickey.
How was God
so cruel
as to give you that mouth…
There is no one who resists me,
bitch,
hide it
To this day, the cardinal has not apologized nor denounced any of his prior writings, only claiming that he would not write such things today because they could be "misinterpreted."
Watch the interview with Faith Hakesley:
