But one delegate, German cardinal Gerhard Müller, immediately defied the pontiff's request.

Müller, a former head of the Vatican's doctrinal office, is known as a vocal critic of Francis's synod on synodality.

During an Eternal Word Television Network's (EWTN) nightly news programme, the German cardinal presented a more positive attitude, however.

When the interviewer asked him if he was still concerned about the synod being a "hostile takeover" of the Church as he had previously commented, Müller spoke of "a certain form of optimism" and good conversation.

"... but at the end we must wait in what direction it will go and what will be the decisions behind the scenery. That is always the problem," he said.

Müller went on to criticise a fellow delegate - his successor in the Vatican's doctrinal office, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández.

Müller said Fernández had erred when speaking in a recent interview about Francis's "magisterium".

"That doesn't exist," Müller said. "The pope does not have his own doctrine.

"Surely the pope has a special authority in the church according to our Catholic Church, but he is not a person who receives a new revelation."

Vatican media caution

Müller's EWTN interview came one day after the Vatican published its formal set of conduct rules (regolamento) for synod members.

These stated that delegates are bound by "confidentiality and discretion regarding both their own interventions and the interventions of other participants."

In an October 5 press briefing, the head of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communications said synod delegates were encouraged to "take time to discern, take time to listen to each other" rather than speaking to the press about the proceedings.

During his opening remarks on October 4, the Pope also told the 450-plus synod participants to abstain from media interviews.

Past synods have been reduced to one or two hot button issues, he said.

He noted that in anticipation of this synod he had seen press coverage focus on the possibility that the Catholic Church might ordain women as priests.

This synod's rules mark a departure from procedures used at four synods Francis has hosted in the past.

During those gatherings, participants were largely free to give interviews to members of the press.

They were also frequently invited to take part in daily press briefings the synod office had organised. This enabled delegates to give interviews from firsthand experience about their experiences of the synod process.

NCR newspaper claims "multiple sources" say Müller did not attend the September 30 - October 3 spiritual retreat for synod delegates.

Source

• NCR Online

In an interview with Spanish magazine Vida Nueva, Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego (pictured), supported Bishop Fernando Prado of San Sebastián, Spain, who banned diocesan television from airing content produced by EWTN.

"I would not have EWTN on diocesan media either," McElroy responded.

"EWTN worries me because it represents a giant of economic and cultural power connected to a religious viewpoint that is fundamentally critical of the pope," the cardinal said.

McElroy claimed that the channel's main anchors constantly minimise the abilities and theological knowledge of Francis and attempt to move the world away from the reforms that he is signalling.

McElroy said that Francis has encountered opposition due to his intention of completing the work of the Second Vatican Council, as well as his constant inclusion of the experiences and spiritual points of view of the Global South at the centre of the life of the church.

The cardinal believes that this opposition is exacerbated by Catholics' worries that the pope is open to exploring pastoral paths that are not prohibited by existing doctrinal formulations.

McElroy calls to open diaconate to women

In the interview, McElroy reiterated his previous call to open the diaconate to women while raising concerns about the ordination of women to the priesthood. He fears that the ordination of women to the priesthood would deeply divide the church, and for this reason, it should not be an objective of the synodal process.

McElroy praised the pope for including women in church structures but said that the church is still looking for a theological framework that reveals the equality of women in its fullness.

McElroy's recent writing about how the church should minister to LGBTQ people and divorced and remarried Catholics has received significant backlash, including an essay where Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, accused McElroy of heresy.

When asked by Vida Nueva if the accusation of heresy hurt him, McElroy acknowledged that it did, but he said it hurt the church more.

"This language endangers the church even more, in breaking down the dialogue that we should maintain these days about the fundamental questions that we are confronting," McElroy said.

McElroy said that Francis's attention is centred on the life of the believer in its complexity and on how the Gospel and the tradition of the church can apply in an effective and compassionate way to the lives of those who struggle ardently to draw close to God and follow his path.

"It is vital that during all of these debates over doctrinal questions we resist the temptation of using negative labels against those who adopt postures that are opposite to ours," said McElroy.

Sources

National Catholic Reporter

CathNews New Zealand