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<img class="gmail-img-responsive" src="https://assets.lifesitenews.com/images/made/images/remote/https_www.lifesitenews.com/images/local/Cardinal_Gerhard_Muller_-_by_Diane_Montagna_correct_size_810_500_75_s_c1.jpg" alt="Cardinal Gerhard Muller" style="margin-right: 0px;" width="471" height="291">
Cardinal Gerhard Muller, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith <span class="gmail-credit">Diane Montagna/LifeSiteNews</span>
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Vatican’s former doctrine chief sounds alarm on Francis’ plans to reorder curia
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<p class="gmail-article-tags gmail-hide-print"><a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/vaticans-former-doctrine-chief-sounds-alarm-on-francis-plans-to-reorder-curia">https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/vaticans-former-doctrine-chief-sounds-alarm-on-francis-plans-to-reorder-curia</a><br></p>
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<p>May 6, 2019 (<a href="http://lifesitenews.com/">LifeSiteNews</a>)<span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"> </span><span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"><b><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">–
The Vatican’s former doctrine chief has strongly criticized a draft
document containing Pope Francis’ plans for an overhaul of the curia —
</span></b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>when “doctrine” <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">is expected to take a backseat to </span>“evangelization” </b></span>—
stating that the plans do not contain a “convincing concept of the
origin, essence, and mission of the Church,” and, pointing out that one
passage of the document even contains “shocking theological
cluelessness." </p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>Cardinal Gerhard Müller, former Prefect of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith, made his comments about the draft document of the
curia reform plan, set to be promulgated at the end of June on the
Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, </b></span>in a new interview with German regional
newspaper <a href="https://www.pnp.de/nachrichten/politik/3313523_Kardinal-Mueller-zu-Machern-der-Kurienreform-Theologische-Ahnungslosigkeit.html"><em>Passauer Neue Presse</em></a>.
The draft has been prepared by the members of Pope Francis' Council of
Nine Cardinals, and it is titled “The Roman Curia and her service to the
Church in the world today.”</p>
<p>One of the German cardinal's objections to the current draft is that the Roman Curia “finds itself in a state of suspension [“<em>ortlosen Schwebezustand</em>”],
because it is not anymore clearly oriented toward serving the Pope for
the Universal Church.” For him, this “future 'Apostolic Constitution' is
a conglomeration of subjective individual ideas, pious wishes, and
moral pleas along with individual quotations from Council texts and
statements of the current Pope.” </p>
<p>Most importantly, explains Müller,<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> there is a lack of </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>clear
distinction</b><span style="color:rgb(255,153,0)"> </span></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>“between the secular institutions of the Vatican as a
sovereign state, the Holy See as a subject of International Law, an<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">d the
ecclesiologically founded primacy of the Pope” who is, “as bishop of
Rome, in the succession of the Apostle Peter, the visible principle and
foundation of the unity.”</span></b></span></span></p>
<p>Here, Cardinal Müller sees that <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>the “fatal mistake”</b><b> Pope Paul VI's
own earlier curial reform – which made the “Secretary of State the
center of the Curia” – is now being worsened.</b></span> According to Müller, the
Secretary of State serves the Pope in the “fulfillment of his mission,”
however, “the highest mission is his [the Pope's] Magisterium as a
member and head of the College of Bishops.” “The secular duties,” the
cardinal adds, “are only secondary and not at all fundamentally linked
to the papacy.” On the contrary, sometimes the Secretary of State has
even “darkened” the Pope's “essential mission.”</p>
<p>“<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>To now give today priority to</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>the secular tasks</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>over</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b> the spiritual
mission</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> is a mistake that<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"> urgently needs to be avoided,</span></b></span>” Cardinal Müller
states. Thus, he warns against a<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> “secularization of <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">the concept of the</span></b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>
Church</b></span>,” as if she <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">is<b> “to be run like an international company” and as
if “it is about a balance of power" between a mother company and
subsidiaries.</b></span></p>
<p>Further commenting on the new organization of the different organs of
the Roman Curia as described in the draft of the curial reform,
Cardinal Müller tells the <em>Passauer Neue Presse</em> that “<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>there is no <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><em>Suprema</em>
</span></b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>[the supreme office – originally the Congregation for the Doctrine of
the Faith</b></span>]<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> anymore</b></span>, <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>because all dicasteries are to be on the same
level.”</b></span> He sees here a “planless listing of 16 ministries who somehow
are to serve the Pope, the individual bishops, and the bishops'
conferences.” </p>
<p>As an example, <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>the Pope's alms office</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>is now listed prior to</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b> the
liturgy and the Sacraments</b></span>, the prelate points out. <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>Additionally,
<span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">“evangelization</span> comes on first place, </b></span>even though it is a task of the
Universal Church and not a specific task of the Pope.” </p>
<p>Here, Cardinal Müller asks the crucial question: “What, then, is the
difference between the Dicastery for Evangelization and the Dicastery
for the Doctrine of the Faith, which, too, is tasked to serve 'the Pope
and the bishops in the proclamation of the Gospels in the whole world'
[a quote from the draft itself]? Is there on the one side an
evangelization without content and on the other side the proclamation of
the 'Faith in Christ, the Son of the Living God'”?</p>
<p>“Even though,” Cardinal Müller explains<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>, “the Magisterium of the
Universal Church is the very reason for the existence of the papal
primacy</b></span>,<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b> the teaching of the Faith </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>is being mentioned in the draft
merely as one random</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>task of the Pope <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">among</span> many others,</b></span> and most
importantly,<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> now to be subordinate to</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b> his secular duties.”</b></span></p>
<p>Müller also points to one passage in the draft document, describing
the duties of the new Dicastery for Doctrine, that <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>contains "shocking
theological cluelessness.</b></span>" </p>
<p>The Cardinal <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>also</b></span> notices<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> a “wrong and deviant use o</b></span>f <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>fundamental
notions of Catholic theology</b></span>,”<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> as well as a “secularized way of
thinking” of those who demean </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>the Congregation for Doctrine</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>as a sort of
“schoolmaster.”</b></span> He also criticizes the notion of <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>strengthening</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>the
“periphery”</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>to the detriment of</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>the “center,” </b></span>Rome. This might sound
“populistically plausible,” Müller explains, but “<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>it sounds shrill and
out of tune to</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>a theologically formed ear.”</b></span></p>
<p>As recently <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/cardinals-kept-in-dark-about-pope-francis-plans-to-put-evangelization-ahead-of-doctrine">reported</a>,
Cardinal Gerhard Müller told LifeSiteNews that <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>Pope Francis</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>did not
send</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b> to all</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"> his cardinals a draft of his curial reform</span>. In light of the
piercing critique by Cardinal Müller as presented here, this would be
direly needed, for the good of the Church.</p>
<p>Several media outlets had reported that the role of the Roman Curia as a whole will be revised. As <a href="https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2019/04/22/new-vatican-document-to-put-evangelization-ahead-of-doctrine/">Crux</a>
writes: “Once the text is approved – which will be on a 25-year “trial
period” – <span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">the Vatican dicasteries </span>will no longer be instruments for the
pope to supervise local churches, but will actually be there to serve
bishops from around the world. They will no longer be a 'body' in
between the pontiff and the college of bishops, but an institution that
serves both.”<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> The largest change will be that a sort of “super
dicastery” for evangelization is planned, which is to be more important
tha</b></span>n<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b> the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith </b></span>(CDF).</p>
<p>Fr. Thomas Weinandy, a member of the International Theological
Commission who was removed from his position as an adviser to the US
Conference of Catholic bishops in 2017 following his criticisms of Pope
Francis, told LifeSiteNews in a <a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-francis-to-raise-evangelization-above-Catholic-doctrine">recent interview</a>
that <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>there’s “no problem” with making Evangelization as the “primary
pastoral work of the Church,</b></span>” <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>but “if it means that within that<span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"> </span></b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>
Evangelization</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>, the role of doctrine </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>is going to take second place, or
placed on a lower level, then that would undercut </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>the whole purpose of
evangelization.”</b></span></p>
<p>“<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>The good news that is offered is precisely the Mysteries of the
Faith </b></span>-- the Church's doctrinal and moral tradition,” Weinandy said.
<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>“How can one preach</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b> the Gospel </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>without telling </b></span>others <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>of the marvelous
mysteries of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the saving death and
resurrection of Jesus, or the great gift of the Sacraments, etc?
Doctrine and the Church's moral teaching is what evangelization is all
about. It is the Good News!”</b></span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>Without</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>doctrine and moral teaching</b></span>, <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>“there is no</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>evangelization</b></span>,” he
continued. “<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>What may be proclaimed would simply be empty words that do
not bring</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b> life -- here on earth and forever in heaven</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>. It would be
contrary to </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>the Church's whole evangelistic tradition -- beginning with
the Apostles themselves,</b></span>” he said. </p></div></div>
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