Cardinal Müller in new interview, "The Pope is not a star. No to the LGBTQ+ Jubilee"

Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Gerhard Ludwig Müller: "The Church should not engage in politics, it should think of Christians."

Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, you are Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. How do you assess these first months of Pope Leo's pontificate?

"We were all happy that Pope Leo began his pontificate with Christ, the center of the Christian faith: this Christocentrism is necessary. Many want the Church to speak only about issues of social life and politics. Of course, these are also issues of mission, but its primary mission is to preach the Gospel of salvation and eternal life for all men."

Do you think this pontificate will place greater emphasis on collegiality?

"Yes, we discussed thos in the pre-conclave. The collegiality of bishops is an element of the Christian faith, of dogma. The Pope, as Bishop of Rome, is not isolated like an autocrat, but has a college of cardinals that is his senate. The advice the cardinals give is very important, not for their own interests, but to assist the Pope and his mission intellectually and morally."

Some think that with Leo there will be a return to tradition.

"We shouldn't make comparisons with previous Popes; Leo cannot imitate Francis, just as Francis could not imitate Benedict, and so on. For example, there is talk of Leo wearing a mozzetta: this isn't just a way to look better, but an expression of his office. In this sense, I think many have imagined that Pope Leo wants to present himself more as the successor of Peter and not put his personality first. Clearly, we cannot separate the office from the person, but in a certain sense we must make a distinction."

Pope Leo said he has already received several letters regarding the Latin Mass. Do you think it's necessary to address this issue?

"Let's start with the fact that there are different rites, including the Latin rite, the most widespread. The Council Fathers decided not to change the Mass, but simply to slightly modify the rites to facilitate the active participation of the faithful. There are some, however, who have had reservations about the liturgical form; they have remained with the Latin rite as it existed until 1962. Some of these so-called traditionalists say that only this form is valid. We cannot accept this; a more pragmatic and tolerant solution must be found. We must find a solution based on Catholic thought, which distinguishes between the substance of the sacraments and the partially changeable rites."

What do you think about this?

"That the issue cannot be resolved with authoritarianism. Mediation is needed: both sides must move toward each other a little. We need clear reflection, theological and not just political."

Among the many letters, Pope Leo also received a petition signed by numerous scholars asking for clarification after the "confusion" generated by the Jubilee of the LGBTQ+ community. What do you think?

"I don't know if the Pope will say anything, but the situation is very clear. The Holy Year and the Holy Door cannot be exploited for this kind of ideology. The Church, in the name of Jesus Christ, accepts all men and their problems, but God created man and woman, and only this marriage is the only possibility for living together as a couple. The Holy Door cannot be used for political reasons: I'm thinking, for example, of those who come here on pilgrimage to raise questions regarding the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. But what does this have to do with their faith? Christ is the Holy Door through which we enter the Church, the family of God. We Christians must not defeat our enemies, but enmity."

On the topic of sexuality, the Pope said that the doctrine will not change, but that it confirms Francis's "Todos, todos, todos." Do you think he has found a compromise?

"All men are called to find Jesus Christ, the only savior of the world, but through a change in their own lives. The problem is that many want to understand this "all, all, all" as the acceptance of a lifestyle that goes against the Christian way of life. Let's think of tradition, of the Church of Rome in the second or third century. Members of the Church asked themselves: What do we do with gladiators who, despite killing other men, want to be baptized? To enter the Church through baptism, they must change their lives. And the same goes for many other categories of people..."

The Pope spoke about American pro-lifers, saying that they cannot be against abortion, but at the same time support the death penalty or the immigration policies currently in place in the United States...

"The Pope did not compare and relativise these situations, which are objectively different, but spoke only of the subjective consistency that is required in all the different cases of the protection of life. Abortion means killing an innocent person and the Church has always said that it is a brutal crime. But it cannot be put on the same level as the death penalty for a criminal who has killed other men. Even in the Old Testament there is talk of the death penalty for someone who has killed another man. I am personally against this penalty, but let us remember that among the teachings of the Church it was accepted, within certain limits and in extreme cases, that the civil authority could apply it. Another thing is the question of migrants: one must always treat one's neighbour as a brother, but states have every right to regulate illegal immigration and protect their own population perhaps from criminals arriving from other countries'.

In your opinion, will this pontificate have surprises in store for us, or will it be a pontificate without too many upheavals?

"I expect surprises that concern the Word of God and not sensationalism, for example saying here is the first Pope to go to Moscow or things like that. The Pope is not a figure for the public interest, he does not present himself according to the rules of a Hollywood star, but as a good shepherd, who gives his life for the sheep of Christ.

Source