Thu Jan 29, 2026 - 3:38 pm EST (LifeSiteNews) — On Thursday morning, Pope Leo XIV publicly praised a Vatican document that has already sparked one of the most serious Marian controversies in decades. Addressing the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Pope commended the doctrinal note Mater Populi Fidelis, issued under the extremely controversial Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, infamous for his books on kissing and orgasms. Leo praised the Fernández document, saying it “encourages popular Marian devotion, deepening its biblical and theological foundations, and at the same time offers precise and important clarifications for Mariology.” While many suggested that it was only Fernández who issued the document, the Pope has now doubled down on his support after having originally permitted its publication and signing it. But a growing number of faithful Catholics—bishops, priests, theologians, and even the Pope’s own former flock—say those “clarifications” do something very …