Le Forum Catholique

Did Pope Francis appoint a commission to overturn ‘Humanae vitae’?
Posted on 15 June 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I’ve been receiving angry, anxious, frustrated and even panicky emails about a “commission” which was allegedly appointed by Pope Francis to “reinterpret” Paul VI’s important and prophetic (as well as hated by libs and feared) encyclical Humanae vitae.

My sources tell me that there is a “work group” but that it is not a commission and it was not appointed by Pope Francis or any other dicastery of the Holy See.

Marco Tosatti has written about a “secret commission” appointed by Francis. Roberto de Mattei also has written about a “commission” appointed by Francis. On the other hand, while DeMattei identifies the correct list of people, my spies tell me that this is a unofficial, even perhaps a self-formed group.

I’m certainly open to evidence to the contrary. If someone has a link to an official announcement that this group was appointed by Pope Francis, please send it to me.

Mind you: I’m not saying that this group is not dangerous. No group with a goal of overturning the infallible teaching of Humanae vitae can be looked upon with joy. Alas, this seems to be a sign of the times: let’s do crazy fan dances to convinced people that 2+2=5. I found de Mattei’s phrase about one the experts of the work group, Gildredo Marengo (who teaches at the John Paul II Institute – what irony…) to be apt: “appartiene … alla categoria di prelati che sono convinti di poter conciliare l’inconciliabile… he belongs to that class of prelates who are sure that they can reconcile the irreconcilable.” After all, 2+2=5 on their planet, and square pegs don’t have problems with round holes. That Italian, by the way, with the heavy “conciliare”, suggests the notion of compromise, finding a balance between opposites, a middle path. However, we know how libs work, don’t we: it’ll be their truth as the only truth in which we are free to believe.

Like I said, just because the group isn’t official, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t dangerous.

At this point, however, it doesn’t seem to have an official mandate.