Clerical abuse survivor Marie Collins, resigned from the Pope’s panel on clerical sex abuse a fortnight ago. She cited “shameful” resistance within the Vatican to the group’s efforts to protect children. Collins has now written an open letter about her resignation to Cardinal Gerhard Müller. In it she responded to an interview he gave an Read more
Amoris Laetitia? “It should be read as a whole, in any case, adultery is always a mortal sin and the bishops who stir confusion on this should study for themselves the doctrine of the Church. We must help the sinner to overcome the sin and to repent.” The unity of Christians? “It is important, but Read more
Bishops must avoid juridical straitjackets that deaden the novelty of new movements in the Church, the Vatican’s doctrine congregation says. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith this week issued a new document, Iuvenescit Ecclesia (“The Church Rejuvenates”). This is the first document from the CDF in Pope Francis’s pontificate. The letter stated bishops and new movements should Read more
The Church’s doctrinal chief has said Pope Francis’s document Amoris Laetitia is in line with previous Church teaching on divorce, remarriage and Communion. The prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, told seminarians in Spain that the apostolic exhortation does not change the Church’s discipline in this area. John Read more
Two top cardinals say that as Catholics engage in charity around the world, they must be careful not to put their desire to convert people to their faith ahead of their missionary work. Speaking at the “Charity will never end” conference organized by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council Cor Unum, an umbrella office to coordinate the Read more
The head of the Church’s doctrinal office has been accused of running a German diocese in a way that resulted in sexual abuse investigations being hindered. The claim against Cardinal Gerhard Müller came from the former chairman of a lay diocesan council in Regensburg, Germany. Cardinal Müller was bishop in Regensburg between 2002 and 2012, before he Read more
A Lutheran bishop and some other Lutherans received Catholic communion at a Mass at St Peter’s Basilica last month. The National Catholic Register reported sources stating that Bishop Samuel Salmi of Oulu in Finland and other Finnish Lutherans indicated to the Catholic priests at the Mass that they wanted a blessing. They reportedly tried to Read more
The Vatican has denied reports that the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was involved in financial irregularities. Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi, SJ, confirmed investigations were being carried out in the CDF, led by Cardinal Gerhard Müller But the spokesman denied the cardinal’s involvement in any wrong-doing. “The superiors of Read more
The Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has said the work of the Church is not to reflect the opinions of its members. “The Church’s job is to reflect the point of view of her head and founder: Jesus Christ,” Cardinal Gerhard Müller said in Chile earlier this month. The cardinal Read more
The prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has attacked the German Catholic Church’s claim of world leadership on moral matters. Speaking at the launch of the German edition of Cardinal Robert Sarah’s book “God or Nothing – A Conversation on Faith”, Cardinal Gerhard Müller hit out at his national church. The Read more