In July 2017, a group of 40 (now over 260) Catholic clergy, lay scholars, and theologians signed and presented to Pope Francis a 25-page document entitled Correctio filialis de haeresibus propagatis (A Filial Correction Concerning the Propagation of Heresies). The document states that certain passages from Amoris laetitia and other "words, deeds, and omissions" of Pope Francis "are serving to propagate heresies". The document had 62 signatories when it was made public in September after the group received no reply. The most prominent signatories were Bishop Bernard Fellay, the superior general of the Society of Saint Pius X, which has been at odds with the Holy See for decades; Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, former president of the Vatican bank; and Joseph Shaw, tutorial fellow in philosophy at Oxford University. Dr. Jacob Wood, assistant professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, said that Amoris laetitia does not explicitly state any of the heresies alleged by the signatories. Rather, "The signatories claim that the pope has failed to stop the spread of heresy, rather than that he has committed the sin of heresy himself". Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, indirectly addressed the controversy, advocating for those who disagree with the Pope to dialogue with the church and "find ways to understand one another".
