(LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Gerhard Müller has stated his conviction that Pope Francis should not resign from his office due to illness.
In an interview with Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, Cardinal Müller said that the resignation of “any pope” should generally “not be an option.”
“One does not descend from the cross, just as it says in Holy Scripture,” he added.
“For us Christians, illness and death remain a connection with Christ, Who died on the cross and rose again, and Who gives us eternal life,” the cardinal explained. “The Pope must be the first to testify that there is a resurrection after death, in an order that offers hope.”
“Canon law only provides for it [a Pope’s resignation] in special and very serious cases, for example, in cases of cognitive impairment or apostasy,” Cardinal Müller said. “Popes should not be subject to the criteria of political or military leaders who eventually retire. I see no place for functionalism in the Church, only for witness.”
Addressing Pope Francis, the former head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said that he is being treated for his illness in an excellent hospital and that “none of his mental faculties are impaired.”
“To speak of resignation is absurd,” he stated. “And in this convalescence, I think he can set an example to the whole world, to the suffering, the sick, the dying, those who fear death. The testimony is very valuable.”
Cardinal Müller, who is known as a critic of Francis’ heterodox statements and actions, stressed, “The Church needs inner unity at this historic moment.”
“And even this morning, I prayed in my chapel for the Pope and his health. I am saddened by what is happening.”
“We faithful must live in full communion with the Church of Rome, of which the Pope is the bishop, an everlasting symbol of unity, a constant principle of revealed truth,” Cardinal Müller emphasized. “He is the successor of St. Peter, the apostle who suffered here, in Rome, and was martyred under Nero.”
Asked about his personal relationship with Francis, he said, “We had a dialectical relationship, on many issues, we have different approaches, but the personal relationship remains, and the loyalty that is always owed to the successor of St. Peter.”
The 77-year-old cardinal also reiterated his criticism of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation in 2013: “I have never understood why he took this step. I see no theological roots for the introduction of the criterion of functionalism in the Church. I am skeptical of any papal resignation simply because one feels exhausted and can no longer continue. This undermines the principle of the visible unity of the Church, which is embodied in the figure of the Pope. Therefore, resignation cannot become a normal thing, like a resignation in a company.”
In a statement published by the German outlet Christliches Forum, Cardinal Müller wrote that the resignation from the papal office “can only be justified spiritually and morally with the greater good of the Church and the salvation of souls.”
He furthermore criticized the modern canonical provision of bishops offering their resignation at the age of 75 as a “concession to the secularized zeitgeist of functionalism,” noting that bishops are meant to serve their flock for life.