VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A cardinal who was sacked from a senior Vatican
post by Pope Francis has written his own “Manifesto of Faith,” in the
latest attack on the pontiff’s authority by a leading member of the
Church’s conservative wing.
Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, 71, a German who was the Vatican’s
doctrinal chief until 2017, issued the four-page manifesto on Friday via
conservative Catholic media outlets.
He said “many bishops,
priests, religious and lay people” had requested it. He did not say how
many and why he was issuing it now.
However, conservatives balked
this week when Francis made the first trip by a pope to the Arabian
peninsula and signed a “Document on Human Fraternity” with a Muslim
faith leader.
Ultra-conservative Catholics are opposed to dialogue with Islam, with some saying its ultimate goal is to destroy the West.
The
manifesto was dated Feb. 10, the sixth anniversary of the eve of former
Pope Benedict’s announcement of his resignation. Benedict, 91, remains
an icon for conservative Catholics.
Mueller said he wrote it “in the face of growing confusion about the doctrine of the faith”.
He
said some Church leaders “have abandoned the people entrusted to them,
unsettling them and severely damaging their faith”. He warned against
“the fraud of (the) anti-Christ”.
Mueller, who did not mention the pope, is one of a handful of
conservative cardinals who have open accused Francis of sowing
confusion.
They say he is weakening Catholic rules on moral
issues such as homosexuality and divorce while focusing excessively on
social problems such as climate change and economic inequality.
Their leader is Raymond Leo Burke, 70, an American who was demoted from a senior Vatican position in 2014.
Mueller
has ramped up his criticism of the pope since Francis removed him as
head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in
2017.
Most of the manifesto was a re-stating of the Church’s
teachings, including several that Francis himself has strongly upheld,
such as celibacy for priests and the ban on women’s ordination.
One section, however, was a clear jab at Francis’ reaching out to Catholics who have divorced and remarried outside the Church.
Francis
believes some should be allowed to receive communion on a case by case
basis, something that is anathema to conservatives.
The Vatican has not commented on the document.
23 comments:
Mark Thomas has sometimes commented that he hears of nothing but support for Francis in his parish - today after mass in my parish, many were expressing outrage, upset, and concern over Francis signing that "Human Fraternity" document.
This is opinion pretending to be jouralism. An honest opinion piece would have called Cardinal Müller by mame and anyone competent to read the article would have known it was.
Dan,
Can you share with us the reasons for their “outrage, upset, and concern”? Thanks
No A2, you wouldn't understand.
Dan,
Okay, let me ask it another way, then. Was it because of the language “The pluralism and diversity of religions . . . . are willed by God in His wisdom,” which was the subject of an earlier thread, or was it because of something else, or both?
Dan,
LOL.
The article in question is garbage "journalism." Who determined that Cardinal Gerhard Müller attacked His Holiness Pope Francis via the Cardinal's Manifesto? What shred of evidence is there to support said claim?
About two months ago, Father McDonald published the interview in which Cardinal Müller defended Pope Francis against the coordinated Archbishop Viganò/right-wing attack against His Holiness.
Cardinal Müller has defended and praised Pope Francis time and again in the face of right-wing attacks against His Holiness.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Dan saind..."Mark Thomas has sometimes commented that he hears of nothing but support for Francis in his parish - today after mass in my parish, many were expressing outrage, upset, and concern over Francis signing that "Human Fraternity" document."
Said folks must have exploded with rage when Pope Benedict XVI said of the Qur’an: "...I have the respect due to the holy book of a great religion."
They must have exploded with rage when Pope Saint John Paul II reverenced the Qur’an...and declared that Catholics and Moslems worship the One True God.
They must have exploded with rage when Pope Benedict XVI supported "A Common Word between Us and You."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Common_Word_Between_Us_and_You
They must have exploded with rage when Pope Benedict XVI removed his shoes, entered Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, then stood "in front of the mihrab, the marble niche that faces in the direction of Mecca. He was praying alongside the Great Mufti of Istanbul, Mustafà Cagrici."
Pope Benedict XVI then bowed his head "in the direction of the niche as a sign of respect and thanked the Mufti for that moment of prayer."
They must have been outraged each year from 1991 A.D. to 2013 A.D., when Rome sent Ramadan greetings to Moslems — confirmed Moslems in their religious practices.
In short, said folks must be outraged at the interreligious "dialogue" with Islam that Popes Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI pursued in unrelenting fashion — dialogue that, in line with said Popes, Pope Francis has continued.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Dan said..."Mark Thomas has sometimes commented that he hears of nothing but support for Francis in his parish - today after mass in my parish, many were expressing outrage, upset, and concern over Francis signing that "Human Fraternity" document."
They were outraged that His Holiness signed a document that, as Pope Francis noted, is in line with the True Church's teachings — in line with the Second Sacred Vatican Ecumenical Council — ?
Does their outrage trump the joy and approval with which many Catholics greeted the "Human Fraternity" document?
Pax.
Mark Thomas
Dan said... "Mark Thomas has sometimes commented that he hears of nothing but support for Francis in his parish - today after mass in my parish, many were expressing outrage, upset, and concern over Francis signing that 'Human Fraternity' document."
The priest at "my" parish (assuming Anonymous permits me to use that expression) copied Cardinal Muller's statement and included it as an insert in the parish bulletin.
At Mass on Sunday the pastor criticized PF's left-wing approach to ministry
Mark Thomas, I will respond to you.
Yes, I have sometimes heard fellow Catholics speak negatively about the actions of the previous popes that you mention
Francis seems to be making more fellow Catholics upset by his style and actions than I noticed before.
I have not encountered anyone expressing "joy and approval" over this document. I likely do not live in same area of the country as you.
This will put MT over the edge!
https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2019/02/guest-article-francis-and-joint.html#more
MT, do us a favor. Instead of posting endless drivel, analyze the article and tell us where the author is mistaken. It will be a new experience for you!
Mark Thomas,
Oh dear, yes, please stop with your endless drivel, bothering us with pesky things like, you know, facts and stuff! You must have forgotten that for Francis Bashers the Animal Farm principle applies to everything Benedict ad Francis say or do:
“Pope Benedict good. Pope Francis baaaaad.”
And note the double-think in the linked Rorate Coeli piece:
“This is not to say that this determinism is a component of the statement signed by the Pope and the Imam; it would rather be a presupposition held by the Imam that enables him to agree with Pope Francis that God wills the plurality of religions, although they no doubt differ on why He wills them.”
So, the Iman gets to have an unexpressed presupposition about the language, Pope Francis doesn’t. Of course, we could also talk about the accuracy of the imputation to the Imam, just as we could about any imputation to Francis, but that is another conversation.
Anonymous 2
Sounds like you are getting desperate for allies
Sounds like TJM is engaging in his usual tactics of distraction when he has no good arguments on the merits.
Mark Thomas said..."Who determined that Cardinal Gerhard Müller attacked His Holiness Pope Francis via the Cardinal's Manifesto?"
Answer: Cardinal Kasper.
Anonymous 2,
Engaging in projection much? Still enjoying your slobbering love affair with Obama?
It seems that TJM has a new favored tactic—accusing others of engaging in projection. Ironically, of course, this is itself a prime example of projection, which he engages in constantly.
And notice, yet again, that he still refuses to address the merits of the cogent points raised by MT. So, the tactics of distraction continue. Sad.
Anonymous 2,
MT and "cogent points" is an oxymoron.
Enjoying the Infanticide Party much these days? Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
And so the ad hominem distraction and failure to address the merits continues. Does TJM not realize just how transparent he is?
Anonymous 2,
Speaking of transparent. You are just another fake catholic that supports the Abortion Party and is desperate to change the subject. Academics specialize in that sort of conduct. No wonder colleges and universities are shedding applicants and students who are interested in pursuing honest careers and eschewing "white privilege,"toxic masculinity" and other assorted left-wing drivel academia is peddling these days. You will probably survive to retirement but your younger left-wing buddies will luck if they can land work as baristas
TJM,
Whoever said it was correct—you have issues. And I strongly suspect that calling me (and so many others) a fake Catholic is just another instance of your own projection, whatever your claimed views on abortion are. I am completely done with you now and will no longer play your juvenile mind games.
I really do trust that readers of this Blog will not be taken in by your serpentine twisting and turning and your constant ad hominem distractions (you still will not answer MT’s points about previous popes and Islam). In fact sometimes I even wonder whether your claimed persona is genuine or invented. Your conduct certainly seems to be the sort of thing we have all been warned about on social media.
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