An old book raises controversy in the Vatican

The body was formerly known as the Holy Office responsible for centuries of persecuting heretics, disciplining schismatics, and enforcing sexual morality.

Pope Francis’ appointment of the Archbishop of La Plata, Victor Manuel Fernandez, is seen as an attempt to break with the past. Now some American conservatives within the church are using the ideas in the book to criticize the election.

The book, published by Fernandez in 1995 while he was a parish priest in the Argentine city of Santa Teresita, stresses the importance of kissing in human relationships and defines it as an expression of absolute love.

Regarding criticism, Fernández says that “these are ultra-conservative sectors who deeply hate the Argentine Pope (Francis).”

They take a phrase from the book and say, “Look at the level of this theologian. How can someone who uses these expressions be a conservative of the faith?”

Furthermore, he says he cannot be accused of anything because the book in question contains “no heresy or error”. Fernandez also believes that critics should look at his later scripts that have been published.

– but they take this youthful little teaching of a poor country priest and take the phrases out of context.