Anonymous posters in Buenos Aires call on Pope Leo XIV to remove Cardinal Fernández

Unidentified campaigners put up posters along Avenida de Mayo in central Buenos Aires during Pope Leo XIV's apostolic visit to Argentina. The posters publicly called for the removal of Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Photographs of the posters, all identical, circulated widely on social media during the pope's first visit to the country where his predecessor was born.

The posters read, in Spanish, "Santo Padre: por el bien de la Iglesia remueva a Tucho" ("Holy Father: for the good of the Church, remove Tucho"). Below photographs of the cardinal was the line "Acá lo conocemos bien" ("We know him well here"), a reference to Fernández's Argentine origins. Those behind the campaign have not identified themselves, and the photographs give no indication of what organization may be involved.

The posters are addressed to the pope, not to the Argentine Bishops' Conference or to Fernández himself. The pope alone can decide whether the cardinal remains at the head of the dicastery. By invoking "el bien de la Iglesia," the good of the Church, those behind the campaign presented their demand as a concern for the Church and its doctrine.

Calls from more than one quarter

The request did not come only from the street. Cardinal Joseph Zen, the bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, published a text on his blog asking Leo XIV to close the Synod and to remove Cardinals Mario Grech and Jean-Claude Hollerich from their posts, along with Fernández.

Fernández, known by the nickname "Tucho," was born in Argentina and is a theologian closely linked to Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Pope Francis appointed him in 2023 to head the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, one of the most influential bodies in the Roman Curia. His name became closely associated with the declaration Fiducia supplicans, published in December of that year, which opened the way to non-liturgical pastoral blessings for couples in irregular situations and for same-sex couples, without recognizing their union as marriage.

Divisions over doctrine

That document drew strong reactions across the Church. Several bishops' conferences, particularly in Africa, expressed reservations or rejected its application in their own pastoral settings. Those who defend Fernández describe his work as an effort to combine fidelity to doctrine with pastoral accompaniment. His critics say his guidance sows confusion among the faithful on fundamental questions of Catholic morality and doctrine.

The poster campaign was not the only one to use Leo XIV's presence in Buenos Aires to air demands publicly. Other groups used the slogan "Por fin un león que une" ("At last a lion that unites"), playing on the pope's name and on the lion used as a political symbol by Argentine President Javier Milei.

So far there is no indication that the campaign or Zen's request has prompted any response from the Holy See, or that any decision concerning the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is under consideration.