Cardinal Müller accuses Putin of war crimes

Worse than Hitler or Stalin

The Russian Orthodox Church supports the war of aggression in Ukraine, and Vladimir Putin likes to show off his faith at Divine Liturgies The Catholic Church has a different view of the Russian president, Cardinal Müller chooses sharply critical words for Putin.

As a Christian, Russian President Vladimir Putin is particularly guilty of war crimes in Ukraine for which he is responsible, according to Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller. "Hitler and Stalin had no conscience but Putin crosses himself in Christ the Saviour Church," said the former Prefect of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome. "In doing so, he is sinning against Christianity." The Russian invasion of Ukraine could not be justified by anything, Müller stressed.

"Putin is responsible for the most terrible crimes, crimes against innocent men, women and children. Unfortunately, there are still people in our country who defend him." He said it was deeply depressing that a single person could unleash such a war with thousands of victims. "Putin has a power play instinct with the emotional world of a sex offender," Müller said. "He enjoys keeping the whole world on tenterhooks, getting his armies going, turning on and off the gas tap."

Putin maintains a close relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church, which supports his policies in return. Müller said that possibly the faith that Putin puts on public show was only a façade that he maintained for power-political reasons. "In any case, he will have to answer to God for his actions."

Müller was Bishop of Regensburg from 2002 to 2012, when he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as prefect of Rome's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which watches over Catholic teaching. When his first term expired in 2017, it was not renewed by Pope Francis. Since 2021, Müller has been a judge at the highest church court in the Vatican.

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