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

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

The Pillar

The investigation, initiated by the Vatican's Secretariat for the Economy under Cardinal George Pell, revealed that large sums of cash and unclear money transfers were linked to Müller's office.

Sources within the Vatican stated that around 200,000 euros intended for the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's (CDF) account were found in Müller's private account.

The findings were presented in 2015 to Pope Francis who requested Müller to return the funds. No further sanctions were imposed. However Müller's term was not renewed, due reportedly to the mishandling of finances during his leadership.

The investigation began when Vatican officials discovered that several departments were storing large amounts of undocumented cash.

Random checks were ordered, revealing attempts by employees of the CDF to remove plastic bags filled with cash.

"Here we were counting out thousands, thousands of euros in cash, in the office [of the CDF] which they were trying to move out the back door in plastic bags" an official said.

"It was just surreal."

Clerical error

This prompted a thorough financial investigation in the autumn of 2015. It uncovered over half a million euros which were embezzled, undocumented or otherwise unaccounted for. Other significant amounts were found in cash or in external bank accounts.

Müller attributed the transfer of 200,000 euros to his private account to a clerical error.

"It is hard to see how any kind of credible accounting process could allow for hundreds of thousands of euros to go unaccounted [for], or for hundreds of thousands to be deposited in the wrong accounts and have no one notice [until there was an external investigation" the official told The Pillar.

There is no evidence suggesting Müller intended to use the money for personal ends. However, panic within the DDF offices following the announcement of the checks likely led to the hasty cash removal.

"I don't think Cardinal Müller was looking to get rich from the dicastery" a source close to the secretariat said, "but I think the aim was to get all the cash, and it was a lot of cash, out of the office and out of sight."

Müller has yet to respond to inquiries from "The Pillar".

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The Pillar

Katholisch

CathNews New Zealand

US Catholic Bishops' Conference (USCCB) president Archbishop José Gomez wrote to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in March, explaining the USCCB was preparing to draft such a document.

Cardinal Luis F. Ladaria (pictured) replied last week, thanking the USCCB for offering him a preview of the document, when it is written.

However, Ladaria refused Gomez's request to see a copy of a letter from then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to former cardinal Theodore McCarrick in 2004. Ladaria explained it was "in the form of a private letter to the bishops" and Ratzinger had stipulated that "these principles were not intended for publication."

Ladaria recalled the issue of a U.S.C.C.B. document on Catholic pro-choice politicians and worthiness for reception of Communion, had been raised during the USCCBs 2019-20 ad limina visits to Pope Francis.

He said the C.D.F. had then "advised that dialogue among the bishops be undertaken to preserve the unity of the episcopal conference in the face of disagreements over this controversial topic."

"The congregation notes that such a policy, given its possibly contentious nature, could have the opposite effect and become a source of discord rather than unity within the episcopate and the larger church in the United States."

Ladaria said the C.D.F. thought the policy could also advised the USCCB to engage in "extensive and serene dialogue" - first with the bishops, then with Catholic politicians about worthiness to receive communion.

The bishops would need to agree on the doctrinal issues "to maintain unity" in the conference and in the US church.

A similar dialogue would need to be held with Catholic politicians.

In addition, the policy would best be framed within the broad context of worthiness for the reception of Holy Communion on the part of all the faithful, rather than only one category of Catholics, Ladaria said.

Despite the CDF and USCCBs cautious approach, San Fransisco's Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone is reiterating that Catholic public figures who support abortion rights be barred from Communion - while at the same time pleading with them to have a change of heart.

Cordileone says according to Canon law, the local bishop has the power to decide whether or not someone can receive the Eucharist.

San Diego's Bishop Robert McElroy has has been vocal that denying Biden or other political leaders Communion would be "very destructive."

"I do not see how depriving the President or other political leaders of Eucharist based on their public policy stance can be interpreted in our society as anything other than the weaponization of the Eucharist," McElroy said in February.

McElroy reiterated his stance last week, telling America magazine that "the Eucharist is being weaponized and deployed as a tool in political warfare."

Cordileone rebuked the notion that he is being political.

"This is not a political motive for me. I intentionally waited until after the election to release [the pastoral letter]."

Source

• Crux Now
• America
• Image: National Catholic Reporter

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) announced on 23 October they were throwing him out of the church.

In 2009 Vlasic was accused of teaching false doctrine, manipulating consciences, disobeying ecclesiastical authority, and of committing acts of sexual misconduct.

These incidents occurred during the 1980s when he acted as ‘spiritual advisor' to six people in the town of Medjugorje, in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina. The six said they experienced visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A document signed at the time by the then-CDF prefect, the late Cardinal William Levada, also accused Vlasic of adultery. The priest had had a child with a woman in 1987.

The priest had been reduced to the lay state by a decree of Benedict XVI. Vlasic had asked to be released from his priestly obligations following the investigation by the CDF.

He was also relieved of his religious vows and excluded from the Franciscan Order.

Don Adriano Bianchi, Director of the Office for Social Communications for the Diocese of Brescia announced that the CDF had issued the decree of excommunication formally on 15 July this year.

He said: "The serious canonical penal provision was imposed on him due to the fact that unfortunately, during these years, Mr Vlasic has never complied with the prohibitions imposed on him in the canonical penal precept issued against him by the same Congregation, on 10 March 2009, under penalty of excommunication reserved for the Holy See.

"In fact, in all these years, in the Diocese of Brescia and in other places, he has continued to carry out apostolic activities towards individuals and groups, both through conferences and through information technology; he continued to declare himself a religious and a priest of the Catholic Church.

"Because of this penalty of excommunication, Mr Vlasic is prohibited from taking part in any way as a minister in the celebration of the Eucharist or any other ceremony of public worship, from celebrating sacraments or sacraments and from receiving the sacraments, from exercising functions, in offices or ministries or any ecclesiastical assignments, or to place acts of government."

Sources

La Croix International

Independent Catholic News

Catholic News Agency

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, recently admitted that he is "open" to the idea of ordaining women to the Catholic priesthood.

"I am not saying that women have to become priests; I just don't know. But I'm open to it," he said in an interview published by the German Catholic news agency.

Hollerich, who is Luxembourg's archbishop, is one of the world's most influential cardinals due to his position as president of the Commission of the Episcopal Conferences of the European Union.

Several German bishops - including German episcopal conference president Bishop Georg Bätzing - have also called for open discussion on ordaining women to the priesthood.

So far, none of them has been treated like Tony Flannery (pictured), a priest suspended from publicly practising their priesthood.

Flannery - an Irish Redemptorist priest - was suspended in 2012, for supporting women's ordination and his views on same-sex marriage and homosexuality.

In February the Redemptorists' Superior General in Rome wrote to the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) about Flannery's return to public ministry.

In response, the CDF said:

"After reflecting carefully upon your request, the Congregation has decided that Fr Flannery should not return to public ministry prior to submitting a signed statement regarding his positions on homosexuality, civil unions between persons of the same sex, and the admission of women to the priesthood."

Flannery says the CDF sent him a series of doctrinal proposals in July via his superior general, to which he would have to "submit" as a first step towards "a gradual readmission" to public ministry.

He must submit to the statement that "a baptized male alone receives sacred ordination validly", as the price for "a gradual readmission" to the public ministry.

He must also submit to three other doctrinal formulae, affirming:

• homosexual practices are contrary to the natural law
• unions other than marriage between a man and a woman do not correspond to God's plan for marriage and family
• gender theory is not accepted by Catholic teaching.

Flannery says he's never expressed any views on so-called "gender theory" and is confused as to why that issue is in his CDF file.

He has refused to sign the CDF documents, saying:

"For me to sign a document that I submit that women can never be ordained priests in the Catholic church would be a total lie.

"I just could not live with myself if I signed that document. There are bishops - the German bishops for instance - many of whom have come out in favour of the ordination of women. It is very much an open question in the church now."

The CDF have not so far pressed Pope Francis to have Hollerich or other German prelates to recant and sign a fidelity oath as they have with Flannery.

Source

• La Croix
• Irish Times
• The Tablet
• Image: The Irish Times

Cardinal Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), wrote to the presidents of bishops' conferences in a March 7 letter, asking them to distribute a nine-point questionnaire to bishops about the 2007 apostolic letter Summorum Pontificum. Read more