Cardinal Müller - outsider in the race for the Papacy

Trump supporter, Benedict confidant: This is the German in the Pope roulette

(Cathcon: The Holy Spirit's choice is not random!)

Following the death of Pope Francis, the Catholic Church is facing the election of a new spiritual leader. Among the possible candidates, a German cardinal is attracting particular attention – not least because of his controversial public appearances.

Following the death of Pope Francis, the Catholic world is looking eagerly to Rome: Who will be the next leader of approximately 1.3 billion believers? While cardinals from around the world gather for the conclave, the race for the succession is still open – with well-known favorites, but also some outsiders. One of them is the German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller.

A German Pope? What are Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller's chances?

Gerhard Ludwig Müller is one of the strongest conservative voices in the Catholic Church. The 75-year-old cardinal from Germany stands for a theological orientation that is consistently oriented towards traditional doctrine. He approaches reform plans within the church with open skepticism and sharp criticism.

Müller has attracted attention in Germany primarily through his public support for the controversial Limburg Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst. The Pope ordered the bishop to take a temporary break after harsh criticism.

But Müller's stance is also controversial outside the church. He is not afraid to get involved in sociopolitical debates. He has, among other things, revealed himself to be a fan of right-wing conservative politicians.

Müller is a Trump fan: "Better a good Protestant than a bad Catholic"

In January 2023, Müller explicitly praised Donald Trump in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera: "Personally, I prefer Donald Trump to Joe Biden" – "better a good Protestant than a bad Catholic," Müller said.

His career in the Church has taken Müller from the German religious community to the highest ranks of the Curia. The theologian from Mainz served as Bishop of Regensburg from 2002. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI, who died in December 2022, appointed him Prefect of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Müller thus held the influential office of Guardian of the Faith until 2017. This office traditionally involves preserving Catholic doctrine.

Müller opposed Francis's plans

In 2014, Pope Francis, who died this year, finally appointed Müller a cardinal. Over time, problems grew between the new pope and his conservative prefect of the faith. Müller was thus early on described as Pope Francis's "most persistent opponent," while also being considered a close confidant of his predecessor, Benedict XVI.

They had very different views, particularly at the 2014/15 Synod of Bishops on marriage and family. Francis cautiously opened the door—for example, by wanting to allow divorced and remarried people to receive communion in individual cases in "Amoris Laetitia"—but Müller resisted.

Internally, even then, many considered him someone who was likely to slow down papal plans for reform. Nevertheless, Müller remained in office until the regular end of his term in the summer of 2017. An early dismissal would have been considered an affront to Benedict, writes the "Frankfurter Rundschau."

When Francis did not renew Müller's mandate after five years, many saw it as a dismissal of the "hardliner." Müller only learned shortly beforehand that he would have to vacate his post. Since then, he has not held any leadership position in the Curia.

Controversial issues: Sexual morality and women in the Church

In terms of content, Müller is characterized by a strict adherence to classical Catholic moral teaching. He rejects abortion and warns against any relativization of bioethical issues. Catholic politicians have a duty to fight against abortion and euthanasia and to apply the entire body of Catholic social teaching in their political work, Müller told the Catholic News Agency (CNA) in 2020.

His stance on sexual morality is similarly unwavering: Müller considers homosexual acts and partnerships a sin, and he strictly rejects equal rights. He considers the blessing of homosexual couples "blasphemy."

Every bishop must be obligated to prevent such "sacrilegious acts," Müller appealed. Such statements sparked controversy both inside and outside the Church and contributed to Müller's image as an uncompromising hardliner.

Müller is similarly rigorous on the question of the role of women in the Church. He clearly rejects any form of opening the ordained ministry to women. He repeatedly emphasizes that the ordination of women is "sacramentally impossible."

In an interview in 2024, he made it unequivocally clear once again: Even if women subjectively feel called to the priesthood, "women cannot be called to this office. That must be a mistake," the cardinal said. The priesthood is bound by Christ to manhood; Müller categorically ruled out the calling of women as a "contradiction to the symbolism of this sacrament."

For reform Catholics, these positions are an affront, while conservatives welcome them as a necessary defense of tradition. Müller thus clearly sees himself as a loyal advocate of the doctrine, even if he consciously accepts confrontations.

Outsider in the race for the pontificate

A shadow over Müller's record is cast by his controversial stance in dealing with the church abuse scandal. As Prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican from 2012 onwards, he played a key role in addressing the worldwide abuse cases. Critics, however, accuse him of trivializing the extent of the problem.

In fact, Müller has repeatedly stated that sexual abuse by clergy is primarily a matter of regrettable isolated cases – he refused to acknowledge a systematic failure of the church. In 2018, he even described the public outrage over the revelations as a "pogrom mood" against the church.

Despite—or perhaps because of—his profile, Müller is considered a possible papal candidate in Vatican circles, but is considered somewhat of an outsider. The 77-year-old cardinal is one of the seven German cardinals, of whom only three are eligible to vote, and if elected, he would be only the second German pope of the modern era.

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