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Cardinal Gerhard Müller, the former prefect for the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, voiced his apprehensions regarding the Vatican Synod on Synodality.
At the heart of Müller’s concerns lies the worry that some changes, in his view, conflict with established Scripture and Tradition.
Müller specifically cited the potential acceptance of homosexuality, the ordination of women as priests and a fundamental shift in Church governance as developments that raise serious questions.
Another significant concern he raised was the lack of freedom for bishops to express their views.
The synodal meeting, as he described it, appeared to be tightly controlled and manipulated.
A small group of keynote speakers dominated the discussions, leaving little room for a more diverse range of theological perspectives.
“In the former synods, all the bishops in the plenary could speak about what they wanted.
“Now everything is led, it is pre-organised and it is difficult to speak in the plenary because only a short time is given and, according to the rules, you can speak only once, and only for three minutes”, complained Müller.
Lack of theological discussions
Furthermore, while there was an emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit throughout the synod.
Müller argued that it seemed as if the voices of the Holy Spirit were represented solely by those who were invited to speak.
This approach, he suggested, did not allow for the valuable insights of bishops who possessed a deep understanding of theology.
Müller also lamented the lack of profound theological discussions during the synod.
He noted a shift away from focusing on Jesus Christ and divine Revelation, which he deemed vital components of any theological dialogue within the Church.
One notable point of contention was the canonical legitimacy of the Vatican Synod.
The cardinal questioned whether it could truly be considered a Synod of Bishops when the laity was granted voting rights.
This was a significant departure from the traditional model, which, he argued, made it more akin to an Anglican-style synodal meeting.
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