February 17, 2017

Dear Bro. Soc Fernandez,

This is regarding the email you sent me last January 26, 2017.

1. In the first place, I would like to clarify that the matter involved here is totally
alien to the “death of God” movement, which is atheistic (as explained in one of
the attachments you sent).

2. Let us remind ourselves that we are dealing here with a difficult truth of the
Faith, a mystery. And before any mystery, the attitude we have to adopt is
humility. We have to accept the fact that in the things of God, difficulties arise
not only in man’s capacity to comprehend them. Even when he does (with the
help of Revelation), he realizes that human language is inadequate to express
them.

3. For example, each time we recite the Creed, we express our belief in one God in
three Divine Persons (an unfathomable mystery); that the Second Person became
incarnate (another mystery). More incomprehensible still is when we say that He
“was crucified, died, and was buried”. Consequently, the Lord Jesus entrusted
to the Pope and the bishops the task of elucidating the truths He revealed.

4. The so-called “God-died” debate is superfluous — if the purpose of a debate is

to arrive at a clearer view of a subject matter — because this has been settled by
the Magisterium long ago. In matters of doctrine, the Bishop of the diocese has
the grace of God to guide us. That responsibility is non-transferable, and his
teachings should be accepted with faith and humility of mind and heart. Now
the questions you have brought up had been answered through the Declaration
of a group of Bishops of Mindanao. Then, Archbishop Jose Palma also gave his
explanations. Add to that the detailed and excellent explanations of Fr.
Arganiosa, based on Holy Scriptures, Magisterium and the Liturgy.
5. I have nothing more to add to the above clarifications, contained in the dossier
sent to me by Engr. Gitamondoc (“Clarification on the God-died doctrine”). Any
other thing I would say would just be a repetition of all that.

6. May I suggest that you pray to our Blessed Mother, and humbly ask her for the
simple wisdom that enabled her to grasp the mysteries of Revelation, more
perfectly than any angelic or human intellect could.

God bless you and your labors to defend the faith.

Fr. Luis P. Supan

Executive Secretary, ECDF