CDF chief is a party pooper!

The party of the liberals that is!  Ha!

From this.

***

The German Catholic News Agency interviewed the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, in Rome on 21 September, the day he was confirmed in office. Below is a verbatim translation of that interview.

.....

KNA: Can former liberation theologians who have been reprimanded (by Rome) now hope to be rehabilitated?

Archbishop Müller: (laughing) I myself haven't reprimanded any! Contrary to widespread popular opinion, the two instructions of 1984 and 1986 were not a big 'No' to liberation theology. They merely discussed certain aspects of it. Its most important representatives have developed their thinking in a positive way. One should be glad if tensions are not exacerbated and perpetuated. It is also the task of our Congregation to contribute towards reconciliation. [which is also the tone of Pope Francis'.  But what if the dissenters keep on dissenting?  What to do with them?  Well, the recent excommunication of Mr. Reynolds shows what Pope Francis will do.] There must be no rival camps in the Church. When occasionally there is a hardening of attitudes, we must overcome them and lead everyone back to the fundamentals of the faith.

KNA: Your Congregation is often seen as a censor's office for undesirable theologians, especially in Germany. After the Pope's most recent interview (in Civiltà Cattolica) one could get the impression that Pope Francis wanted to change that image.

Archbishop Müller: The image exists but it is incorrect. Of the 4,000 or so bishops and theologians appointed, you get perhaps ten cases where the nihil obstat (nothing stands in the way) cannot be given. Then, of course, there's a huge echo and the positive things we do to promote the faith go under. Thus the International Theological Commission and the Pontifical Biblical Commission, both of which are assigned to our Congregation, do great deal of development work. False teachings, however, must be rejected. Whether Jesus is the Son of God or was just a good person who paved the way for today's party-political social programmes is not immaterial. Healthy doctrine, the correct practice and eternal salvation belong inextricably together.

KNA: Up to now the Pope has not proclaimed any new doctrine. He obviously wants to set different priorities as far as the way the Church approaches people is concerned. Less dogmatically and less moralising and more pastorally, instead. Would you say that that is what is at the heart of his concern or how do you interpret what he has said?

Archbishop Müller: It's not as if other bishops or Pope Benedict had constantly spoken about abortion, sexual morals or euthanasia. And pastoral work is not a therapeutic game. It wants to serve people with the Word of God. That is why juxtaposing doctrinal and moral teaching against pastoral work is not in the mind of the inventor. The former is the source of the latter.  [You cannot do pastoral work without any basis from faithful doctrinal and moral theology!]

KNA: What does that mean?

Archbishop Müller: If Jesus Christ is not the Son of God who became Man, then he cannot be the Good Shepherd. Pope Francis has that special charism of being able to translate the Church's doctrine of the faith, which he adheres to unconditionally as he never tires of emphasising, into a personal encounter with people. [Most Catholics are not used to having a pope behave that way actually.] As Pope he behaves like a local pastor.

KNA: If I've understood Pope Francis correctly, then he wants national bishops' conferences to take on more responsibility - also in controversial issues, and Roman authorities to function in a more subsidiary way as service providers. Will this affect the CDF in your opinion?

Archbishop Müller: The CDF is responsible for the whole world in the interests of the papal Magisterium. Bishops lead local Churches. The papal and the episcopal office are legitimised by divine law. That is something that bishops' conferences are not. [And that means you Fr. Diwa!  mind your own business!  You don't have any business telling a bishop what he needs to do in terms of liturgy in his own diocese!  And that means stop making those phone calls!  You are no bishop!  And you are certainly no pope!] They are work groups but do not have a competence to teach of their own over and above that of an individual bishop's mandate. So they are not a third authority between the Pope and bishops. I don't think, therefore, that we'll see a sort of federalist reform similar to that in the Federal Republic [of Germany] where key competences are relayed from the central state to the individual [German] states. That is not how the Church is constituted. According to the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the Church consists in and of the local Churches.  [At least we have a correct interpretation here of Vatican II!  Hoorah!]

***

So worry bugs can breathe a sigh of relief after reading this from the prefect of the CDF.

So Hans Kung can now throw a hissy fit!  Goodbye synodal Church!  You can kiss the Episcopalian / Anglican model goodbye!

That was not how the Church was, is and will ever be!

It is Peter and the bishops.  Not Peter and the bishops of the Philippines.

That synodality was very rampant after Vatican II with each bishop's conference determining how each of the countries will worship, which universal Church feast will be celebrated in their country, and which pious practice like fasting and abstinence will be mandatory.

On the other hand, will this also mean that each bishop will do whatever he likes in his own diocese?

Remember, a bishop is shepherd of his flock, in his own diocese.  And, like Pope Francis, he is a son of the Church.  And like the pope, he should only teach what is in the Catechism.

But in terms of liturgy...

Uhm....