Catholics Have No Obligation to Follow Francis’ Green-Left Agenda - Müller

Catholics are not obliged to follow Pope Francis’s green-left agenda in opposing fossil fuels and favouring agreements on environmental issues, Cardinal Gerhard Müller has told The Weekend Australian (July 27).
Müller is in Sydney to address the Australian Confraternity of Catholic Clergy conference. "We are not a green party", he added,

"Environmental policy is nothing to do with faith and morals. Those issues are for politicians and for people to vote for the party they agree with."

“Bishops are not scientists, environmental experts or politicians." Müller recommended that Church leaders should concentrate on religion.

Pope Must Fight «Schism»

Müller explained that Francis and the bishops needed "to provide the clearness, based on the word of God" to heal the "schism" between the "conservative" and the "progressive" in the Church.

False understandings of theology were causing doctrinal confusion.

But instead Francis’ priorities were social justice and the alleviation of poverty, he added.

Collegality Only on Paper

Müller said many cardinals who will elect Francis' successor will face the problem of not knowing each other, because Francis has not called a general meeting of cardinals for four years.

The lack of such meetings appears to contradict the consultative style ostensibly favoured by Francis, who [allegedly] wants a "synodal approach".

Cardinal Mueller said Francis also listened to "so-called friends but they were not always friends".