Today’s startling, and sickening, news of the appointment of Archbishop Gerhard Müller as Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith is just one more nail in the coffin of the hoped for inauguration of a new era of understanding between the Roman authorities of the novus ordo establishment and Catholic traditionalists. This marks a startling departure from an attempt on the part of Rome to understand better the traditionalist critique, and quite possibly sets aside any real reforms of the Catholic Church for, perhaps, years.
With the appointment of Müller, who is one of the harshest critics of the Society of St. Pius X in Europe, hopes for a reproachment and eventual recognition of the Society are practically dead. It is hard to believe that there could ever be an increase of understanding and good will between this man and the Society. It is not only due to Müller’s criticism of the Society in Germany (which is headed by one of the Society’s most moderate regional superiors, no less), but also because of Muller’s extremely liberal and Modernist theological opinions.
This is a man who has quite openly denied the dogma of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, transubstantiation, the universal salvific nature of the Catholic Church, and is also an enthusiastic supporter of Liberation Theology.
Müller should be investigated by the CDF, not given control of it!
This fact will not be lost on the leaders of the Society in their upcoming general chapter, but more than this, Müller’s appointment ensconces a lock-step refusal to question any of the troublesome tenants contained in some documents of the Second Vatican Council.
As a diehard ecumenist, who questions the universal salvific nature of the Catholic Church, only a naïve fool would expect any measure of openness to a criticism of post-conciliar ecumenism or religious freedom on the part of Müller.
Sources
- UCA News — used with permission
- Image: Dominus mihi adjutor
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News category: Analysis and Comment.
