Pope Francis’s appointment of Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández as the new head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is one of the most important ways in which he seeks to project his outlook within the Church. The Holy Father has released an interesting letter to explain his approach to this Dicastery – once known as the Inquisition. In it, he said the need was for theologians who do not content themselves with “a desk theology” or a cold and hard logic that seeks to dominate everything. “We need theology to be attentive to a fundamental criterion that considers ‘inadequate’ any theological conception that ultimately casts doubt on God’s omnipotence and, in particular, on his mercy,” he wrote. One word that’s often used to describe the approach of Archbishop (and soon, Cardinal) Fernández is “dialogue”. That is, he will seek not simply to impose doctrinal orthodoxy on dissident theologians, but to engage in conversation with them in the hope of greater mutual understanding, including with non-Catholics. In principle, everyone likes the idea of dialogue, but as John L Allen Jr, one of the Herald’s new Vatican Special Correspondents (in collaboration with Crux), has observed, it’s easy to conduct a dialogue with those you agree with; the more difficult task is to engage with those you disagree with. Many of the potential dissidents will be on the conservative end of the doctrinal spectrum.