According to Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, the German Catholics are deluding themselves with their reform process. The innovations aimed for as part of the synodal path would have no chance of being implemented, said the former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and former bishop of Regensburg of the German Press Agency in Rome.
"The reason for this is not that we here in Rome want to be dictatorial in our convictions or to exercise power. The reason is that the Church was instituted and designed by Jesus Christ. We have no authority to change this order."
The Vatican recently made it clear that the synodal path of German Catholics was "not authorized" to change the leadership structures or the church or even the doctrine. The synodal path strives for concrete reforms in the areas of sexual morality, dealing with power, the position of women and compulsory celibacy (celibacy) for priests.
Müller emphasized that he was not in favor of completely abandoning the synodal path. A synodal assembly in which the German bishops work together with lay representatives and discuss the question of how sexual abuse can be prevented in the future makes perfect sense. "The church is a community of believers in which everyone should participate. It does not consist of those who give orders and those who take orders," said Müller.
Lots of ways to get involved
The laity have a right to participate, and this happens in many ways, for example in parish councils and diocesan councils. However, the German Bishops' Conference and the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) should stop giving the impression that their national process could transform the Catholic world church in essential points at their discretion.
Müller (74) was Bishop of Regensburg from 2002 to 2012, then he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI. appointed prefect of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which oversees Catholic teaching. When his first term expired in 2017, Pope Francis did not extend it. Müller has been a judge at the Supreme Church Court in the Vatican since 2021.
Müller also criticized the way Pope Francis dealt with Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne. "I don't see the slightest reason why Cardinal Woelki should resign," he said. There is absolutely nothing against Woelki, he is merely the victim of defamation campaigns.
No decision from the Pope yet
Pope Francis had told the dpa last Sunday that he wanted to take his time with his decision about Woelki. "Let's see. You don't make a decision like that under pressure," said the 85-year-old head of the Catholic Church. In June, Francis said in an interview that he had asked Woelki to submit a request for resignation to him. This is now before him and he can decide at any time. The background is the "turbulent situation" in the Archdiocese of Cologne.
Müller sharply criticized this state of uncertainty. "This gives the impression that the bishops are just pawns that the pope can move around at will. The bishops are actually installed by Christ, who have the same rank as the pope in the episcopal office. The pope is not the boss, the bishops' employer. He can only dismiss a bishop in extreme cases, if he is guilty of serious breaches of his official duties."
Pope Francis had accused Woelki of "big mistakes" last year, especially in his communication, and sent him on a five-month break. Woelki had previously come under criticism, among other things, because he had not initially published an expert opinion on how diocese officials deal with allegations of abuse due to legal concerns.
