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The head of the Vatican’s doctrine office, which recently allowed priests to bless individuals in same-sex unions, is taking heat over a book he wrote as a young priest that features graphic descriptions of orgasms and sexual anatomy.
“I certainly would not write [that] now,” Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández told the Catholic news website Crux, as reported by the Catholic News Agency.
Cardinal Fernández, the prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, wrote “The Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality” when he was a young priest. The Spanish-language book, which is now out of print, uses graphic language in describing orgasms and male and female sexual anatomy, The Associated Press reported.
The cardinal told Catholic media that the book’s publication and distribution were halted soon after its release, saying its descriptions of sexual experiences could be “misunderstood.”
Discovery of the book’s existence follows outrage among conservative bishops over his office’s Dec. 18 declaration allowing priests to bless individuals in “irregular” relationships, including divorced and civilly remarried Catholics and same-sex couples.
News about “The Mystical Passion” also comes after another steamy Fernández title, “Heal Me With Your Mouth, The Art of Kissing,” raised eyebrows in Catholic circles. The Vatican disclosed neither book when the cardinal was named to head the doctrine office in July.
The AP described Cardinal Fernández as Pope Francis’ “theological ghostwriter” and the source of announcements such as the blessing text and one saying transgender individuals could serve as godparents when a child is baptized.
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