Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller has rejected allegations of financial impropriety during his tenure as prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), calling the claims a “defamation strategy” with no basis in fact.
Speaking in an interview on EWTN, the cardinal asserted that there is “no proof” of any wrongdoing and accused his detractors of attempting to tarnish his reputation.
“They have no arguments against my ideology and therefore they want to disavow or make defamation of my person” Müller said on “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo”.
The allegations, which surfaced in a report by Catholic website The Pillar, claim that significant sums of money were mishandled during Müller’s time at the CDF. They include accusations of large cash movements and the deposit of 200,000 euros into the cardinal’s personal accounts.
“No money missing”
The accusations of financial impropriety reportedly influenced Pope Francis’s decision not to renew Müller’s appointment in 2017. However, the cardinal vehemently denied these claims, stating that all funds were properly managed and there were no irregularities.
Müller said these claims date back to “nine years ago” but that there was “no money missing” and that everything “was clarified with Cardinal [George] Pell” who led the Secretariat for the Economy at the time.
“There were no accusations against myself” Müller stated. He clarified that the account referenced was used for the congregation’s mission and was not for personal use, with all transactions fully documented.
Addressing the timing of the allegations, Müller suggested they may be linked to the upcoming Synod on Synodality. He has been critical of some of the attendees for using it as an avenue to promote homosexuality and the ordination of women and advance other ideas contrary to Church doctrine.
He described the accusations as an “anonymous strategy” designed to discredit him as a participant in the synod.
Sources