Pope appoints an Argentine archbishop to high Vatican post

Pope Francis has appointed an Argentine theologian and prolific author who wrote a book decades ago on the healing properties of kisses to be the new doctrinal head of the Catholic Church, one of the Vatican’s highest posts.

A Vatican statement on Saturday said Francis had chosen his compatriot Argentine Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández to be the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF).

The modern successor of the famous Inquisition that persecuted heretics, the DDF has the task of promoting and safeguarding the doctrine of faith and morals. Oversees theological work to ensure that it adheres to Church doctrine and issues guidance, clarifications, and corrections.

In an apparent reference to the Inquisition, known for its torture and executions in medieval times, Francisco said in a letter to Fernández that in the past the department had used “immoral methods” and made doctrinal errors.

The powerful position of DDF prefect was held by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger for 23 years before he became Pope Benedict in 2005.

Fernández, 60, is the author of some 300 books and articles and was rector of the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, where he was also dean of its Faculty of Theology.

In 1995, as a 33-year-old priest, he wrote a book titled “Heal Me With Your Mouth – The Art of Kissing”, which was published in English in 2017.

He writes in the introduction, “I make it clear that this book is not written so much from my own experience, but from the lives of the people who kiss” and that he also wanted to show how poets talk about the kiss.

The Vatican did not mention the book in the partial list of its publications it published with the announcement of the appointment.

The DDF prefect is traditionally a cardinal, meaning Francisco is likely to elevate Fernández to that rank at some point after he takes up his new post in September.

Fernández replaces Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria, a Spanish Jesuit, who is at the end of his term.

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