Ex-Inquisitor cardinal Muller wants Church centuries back, poses as victim, calls for martyrdom

Cdl. Müller: “We are experiencing conversion to the world, instead of to God” www.catholicworldreport.com...

Cardinal Gerhard Müller is the former prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and the former bishop of Regensburg, Germany. A noted professor of theology, he is president of both the Pontifical Biblical Commission and the International Theological Commission.

Cardinal Gerhard Müller: One group of German bishops, with their president [i.e., of the German Bishops’ Conference] in the lead, see themselves as trendsetters of the Catholic Church on the march into modernity. They consider the secularization and de-Christianization of Europe as an irreversible development. For this reason the New Evangelization—the program of John Paul II and Benedict XVI—is in their view a battle against the objective course of history, resembling Don Quixote’s battle against the windmills. They are seeking for the Church a niche where it can survive in peace. Therefore all the doctrines of the faith that are opposed to the “mainstream,” the societal consensus, must be reformed.

One consequence of this is the demand for Holy Communion even for people without the Catholic faith and also for those Catholics who are not in a state of sanctifying grace. Also on the agenda are: a blessing for homosexual couples, intercommunion with Protestants, relativizing the indissolubility of sacramental marriage, the introduction of viri probati and with it the abolition of priestly celibacy, approval for sexual relations before and outside of marriage. These are their goals, and to reach them they are willing to accept even the division of the bishops’ conference.

The faithful who take Catholic doctrine seriously are branded as conservative and pushed out of the Church, and exposed to the defamation campaign of the liberal and anti-Catholic media.

To many bishops, the truth of revelation and of the Catholic profession of faith is just one more variable in intra-ecclesial power politics. Some of them cite individual agreements with Pope Francis and think that his statements in interviews with journalists and public figures who are far from Catholic offer justification even for “watering down” defined, infallible truths of the faith (= dogmas). All told, we are dealing with a blatant process of Protestantizing.

Ecumenism, in contrast, has as its goal the full unity of all Christians, which is already sacramentally realized in the Catholic Church. The worldliness of the episcopate and clergy in the 16th century was the cause of the division of Christianity, which is diametrically opposed to the will of Christ, the founder of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. The disease of that era is now supposedly the medicine with which the division is to be overcome. The ignorance of the Catholic faith at that time was catastrophic, especially among the bishops and popes, who devoted themselves more to politics and power than to witnessing to the truth of Christ.

Today, for many people, being accepted by the media is more important than the truth, for which we must also suffer. Peter and Paul suffered martyrdom for Christ in Rome, the center of power in their day. They were not celebrated by the rulers of this world as heroes, but rather mocked like Christ on the cross. We must never forget the martyrological dimension of the Petrine ministry and of the episcopal office.

Obviously, a very erudite view. However, on a number of points the ex-prefect of CDF or the office known in the past as the Inquisition, is simply wrong.

The married priests are allowed in the Catholic Church in the so called Eastern rites. The married deacons, usually at senior age, are not new either. There is a move to make more of them recently that should be only congratulated. Those are distinguished members of the local communities who served God and the Church for long decades, and now some take upon themselves the service of the deacon. Is that the "conversion to the world"in the eyes and thoughts of the ex-inquisitor? Certainly not, but he sees in each change a motivation for a bigger change. In that case, a move towards married priesthood. How about the wife of St Peter then? And the wives of the other apostles except John?

The Holy Communion is already allowed to the members of other Christian Churches, such as the Orthodox Churches. What is the difference? A common Orthodox believer to be allowed to receive Holy Communion in a Catholic church without ANY PRECONDITIONS according to his own conscience (he will not be required to confess to a Catholic priest for example). While the members of the Western so called "Protestant" churches that have validly ordained priesthood and therefore validly consecrated Holy Communion as well, should be excluded? Or may be the Inquisitor would like to exclude the Orthodox brethren as well, only it will go too far for such a statement after that policy is maintained by too many popes already? Card. Muller thinks like and laments pre- Protestant times. But as he correctly noticed, that time the Catholic Church wasn't the best of the best either, with corrupt clergy and even popes...

Cardinal Muller is right that today's world is rather secular and not obeying God, that there is a trend in the Church to follow suit instead of taking the spiritual lead. But that lead should extend to other important spheres as well, not only those mentioned by the cardinal as worthy of damnation...(that I wouldn't comment here).

For example, the Church(es) must lead in the efforts like the preservation of the world Peace and the fight against the Global warming, that would ultimately include introduction of new advanced technologies, however inconvenient that might be from economic and...theological perspective. Because for all those readers who are not strangers to that, those new advanced technologies are the same that make it possible the flight of secret flying saucers...and that opens an endless space for discussion that certainly people like cardinal Muller avoided at their time in power, long after 1960 as set by Virgin Mary in Fatima, and would like to avoid forever.

In general, the Church should concentrate the efforts to make the life on this planet more bearable for the majority of their flock, instead of losing precious time in endless quarrels between its honourable ranks. Because while the cardinal laments how worldly some of his colleagues are, at the same time more than half of the Catholic population lives in misery in the third world...and some may already wonder where is God for them... The general position of cardinal Muller to turn back the Church is a non-starter, although I agree with some points in his erudite statement.

I disagree that the church should be a leader in social, economic and political issues. The church should focus solely on the spiritual aspect of man and avoid confusing the message with social justice and political themes.

The church should be able to continue in its charitable and humanitarian endeavors, but the message shouldn’t be convoluted with more earthly concerns.

a reply to: 2012newstart

Sometimes less is more.

a reply to: 2012newstart

The Cardinal has glossed rather horridly, over the history of Christianity, and just how much of the Roman Catholic tradition is about as anti-Christian as it is possible to be, without an awful lot of crucifix inverting and sacrifice of virgins and what have you.

Francis is returning the RC to a more Christian position with regard to its alignments and its attitudes. This is the first time since Christ walked the world, that the RC has had even a TENTH of the necessary credentials to actually represent the interests and compassion of Christ, because ever since it has been under the control of savages, Machiavellian psychotics, and murderous, child abusing barbarians. It has spent so much more of its time dictating and killing, than healing and spreading peace, that ANY slide away from that genocidal habit it used to embrace, no matter how difficult for the indoctrinated masses, is positive and brings the organisation closer to the ideals of the man who spawned it. Francis is not perfect, no man or woman living on the world is. But he is at least trying to deliver the sort of leadership that will heal the church, and promote faith over indoctrination.

Good luck to him.

a reply to: TrueBrit

Thank you!

We live in a corrupt world where we are told the good people are punished "by God to be cleansed" and the evil ones are rewarded "for the little good they do because God is just, and also to convert their souls to God and be saved"... I would say, that is Satanism in practice that encourages you to go to the Dark side to avoid further punishment. The Church being the major player in that for long, does not have the ground to continue lecturing, UNLESS it changes its course DRAMATICALLY.

Yes Francis tried to do the things differently, he wanted to correct the present and turn the page of the past, he should be congratulated for that. But he was blocked by people who live in another era.

The ex-inquisitor makes a bad service to the conservative faithful who believe sincerely in the words of God. He poses as defender of that, but actually he is not.

Let not forget, that it was exactly cardinal Muller as former head of CDF who forbade the public apparitions of Medjugorje seers. At that time, there was a storm in the conservative catholic blogosphere against that prejudiced decision. It is fast forgotten, yes? By those same conservative people who want now to see in him an ally because he opposes pope Francis?

He said several words how bad it is for the protestants to receive Holy Communion, etc...as if all Catholics are worthy of it, as if some Catholics did not take Communion while making abortions for example...

There are things that he is right about however there are things that he is frankly WRONG. The inquisitors can sin, history shows. And even they can convert. Jesus died even for them!

When we think of the non-believers, many people tend to think of communists, North Koreans...or some very bad individuals in the West too. We don't usually think that Our Lady speaks FIRST and foremost for those who will READ her messages, those who are well into the Catholic Church, those who preside...and who are still non believers in God... ho do not know the Love of God, as Mirjana puts it. Everyone of us has met such people within the ranks.

People like that will run away from the Third Secret of Medjugorje, the Great Sign. You can read more of it here
www.abovetopsecret.com...

I propose pope Francis to SHUT DOWN the CDF once and for all. it is not an institution created by Jesus Christ, by the apostles, by early centuries Christian Fathers...It is created 1542 for burning people...

en.wikipedia.org...

Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Formed 1542; 476 years ago
Preceding agencies
Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition
Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office

On 21 July 1542, Pope Paul III proclaimed the Apostolic Constitution Licet ab initio, establishing the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition, staffed by cardinals and other officials whose task it was "to maintain and defend the integrity of the faith and to examine and proscribe errors and false doctrines." It served as the final court of appeal in trials of heresy and served as an important part of the Counter-Reformation.

1908 The Inquisition is renamed Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office by Pope Pius X.
1965 The Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office is renamed Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (SCDF).
1985 All dicasteries of the Roman Curia no longer use the adjective "sacred" as part of their title. The Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith becomes the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).

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It is the time the 21st century Church to rediscover its roots and to abandon the Dark ages once and for all. I feel uneasy when a former inquisitor will speak like that publicly. When less than a year ago that was the all powerful prefect who could decide many things within the spiritual, and not only. It is the time the Vatican to show clearly to the world it has broken up with all evil practices from the past that we all know... If the Vatican will have any future.

This Thing is Not in the Gospel, Not in the Holy Fathers, Nowhere! It is human made instrument, it served the Evil in history, and it should be brought down for good...

The current prefect cardinal Lagardia seems to be quite good unlike his predecessor and former boss Muller. en.wikipedia.org... May be he could initiate the move to close that Office that was not Holy at any point of its existence and that bears the darkest memories for the Church. Let he, and his boss the pope, think of what legacy they leave after the normal end of their service that would come rather soon, taking into account Francis' advanced age etc.

if the Christians lived without Doctrinal office between 33 AD and 1542 AD, sure they can continue living without it and still to please God and love their neighbor as Jesus mandated to them...