We need a reform in the Church, not of the structures, but a renewal of
our understanding of what the Church is, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, 77,
told Michael Haynes, LifeSiteNews.com (February 28).
"We are in an anti-Christian world. We must not make false definitions to please the non-Christians."
The
Church is not a secular organization doing good in a social way: "We
must not justify the Church in the eyes of the non-believers," he said.
The
Cardinal called it "an error within the Church" to present the Church's
teaching as a theological theory and in opposition to pastoral efforts.
He
went on to warn that "a pope, the bishops or priests want to be loved
by the mass media". But: It is more acceptable to lie than to tell the
truth, because the latter demands a change of life, Müller explained: "A
man who suffers from alcoholism: if you bring him more bottles of wine
and beer, then you will be more his friend than if you admonish him."
The
same is true in our sexualized world: "If you say that sexuality is
only legitimate within legitimate marriage and that all other forms of
sexual pleasure outside of marriage are sinful, then you will have many
enemies."
The discussions during the ex-synod came, Cardinal
Müller said, "from a certain wing with a wrong approach" that is only
sociological and psychological, but not based on the faith: "Their
deepest desire was to have power over the others and to have a higher
prestige in society."
Cardinal Müller's example is that the final
document of the ex-synod claims that the open question of women deacons
is open: "This is wrong and not dogmatic."
The Pope or an ecumenical council "are dependent on revelation" and "cannot change revelation".
Another
example: "The Church cannot declare that marriage can also consist of
two men or two women in a homosexual relation and that we have to change
some morals."
And, "We cannot establish new doctrines against the authority of the Word of God in Jesus Christ," Müller concluded.
Picture: Gerhard Ludwig Müller © Michael Haynes, LifeSiteNews.com, #newsKvhtpsymzj