VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Cardinal Gerhard Müller is laying out in detail the problems of Pope Francis’ pontificate for Catholics who have long been dismayed with the questions and confusion that seem to have grown worse over the years.
Müller has become the latest of several high-ranking prelates in the Vatican to voice strong criticism of the current pontificate. In a new book titled In Good Faith, set to be released January 27, the former head on the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and longtime friend of the late Pope Benedict XVI is setting out for Catholics a detailed “back to basics” catechesis that deals with problems concerning the faith due to the confusion spread during Pope Francis’s pontificate.
“With this book I want to help people who have a problem with this pontificate,” Müller said of his upcoming release, adding, “The Pope has no phone contact with the Holy Spirit.”
Criticizing the Pope’s preference for popular issues of secular politics, such as climate change, rather than things directly related to faith and morals, such as theology, Müller stated, “Francis is closer to climate change and globalization. He has another approach. He has said theology is not so necessary.”
The comments reflect similar statements voiced in a recent interview with LifeSiteNews, in which the prelate laments the progressive agenda being advanced by leaders of the Church who want to implement a radical globalism based on anti-human Marxist philosophy.
In that same interview, the cardinal also denounced the laicization of the outspoken pro-life leader, Fr. Frank Pavone, insisting the Vatican’s purported reasons “are not justified.” “Nobody with a certain theological understanding or a human feeling of justice and human rights can understand it and accept it,” Müller told LifeSite.
The cardinal contrasted the move with the Vatican’s tolerance of blatant heresy on the part of other prominent priests and bishops, as seen in the German bishops’ “Synodal Path” and the Flemish Bishops’ “rite of blessing” for same-sex unions, neither of which have received any real correction from Rome.
“There are other prominent persons in the United States and other countries who are denying openly the basics of the Catholic faith and morals, and they [face] no reactions from the side of the ecclesiastical authority,” Müller declared.
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Müller joins other high-ranking prelates in the Vatican to recently criticize the current pontificate. Just before Cardinal George Pell died suddenly this month, he had called Pope Francis’ Synod on Synodality a “toxic nightmare.” Shortly after his death, it was also revealed the Pell had authored the memo that circulated among the cardinals last year laying out the numerous problems that had turned Pope Francis’ pontificate into a “disaster” and “catastrophe” for the Church.
Archbishop Georg Gänswein has also published criticisms of Pope Francis and his treatment of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI on things such as the Latin Mass, in his detailed biography of the late pontiff, titled, Nothing but the Truth: My Life with Benedict XVI, published January 12.
Cardinal Joseph Zen joined Gänswein on the topic of the Latin Mass, saying recently, “I agree with Monsignor Gänswein on the issue of the Latin Mass. The tendentious generalizations in Francis’ Traditionis custodes have hurt the hearts of many people.”
Cdl. Müller’s full interview with LifeSiteNews on the progressive agenda and problems of the current pontificate can be viewed below.