A “magic circle” would form around Pope Francis. Abuses in the church would be partially dealt with. The “No” to the Latin Mass would have offended and alienated the traditionalist fringes. These are just some of the cardinal’s revelations Gerhard Mueller in the book In good faith with Franca Giansoldati (Solferino), which will be published in a few days. The former prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith is not sparing in criticizing the Pope’s line, which he says is surrounded by “theologically unprepared” people. In addition, according to him, information in the Vatican would now circulate “in parallel”: “On the one hand, the institutional channels, unfortunately less and less consulted by the Pope, are active, and on the other hand, the personal ones, even for the appointment of bishops or cardinals ».
The Abuse Question
Strong words that do not even shy away from comment on the scandals that have plagued the Church of late. In particular, the case of Monsignor is cited Gustavo Zanchetta, the Argentine bishop who was sentenced to four and a half years in prison last March for sexually abusing two seminarians. His case, Mueller writes, “is a source of discussion because he was able to enjoy one privileged status as a friend of the Pope. As a rule, friendships cannot influence the progress of justice, everyone must be treated equally.” Don is also questioned Mauro Inzolia priest nearby Communion and Liberation. «The Vatican court – reads the book – instituted a trial against him, at the end of which it was decided that he should be made a layman, because he was found guilty of a crime. Unfortunately, a Cardinal of the Curia knocked on the door of Santa Marta and begged for mercy». Mueller says the pope was “convinced in the face of this interventionism” and decided to change the ruling, amending Inzoli’s ruling and stating that he should remain a priest. But with the ban on wearing the priestly habit or the clergyman in public and without showing himself to the congregations as consecrated: «He remained consecrated, but could not show himself as such to the outside world. That’s only an example.”
The “No” Mass in Latin and the Becciu Affair
Mueller’s work echoes what has already been said by Georg Gänswein, Benedict XVI’s secretary, who declared that Pope Francis’ no to the Latin Mass was “heart-breaking”. Joseph Ratzinger. The decision, Müller adds, was “a slap in the face” for traditionalists, “it dug ditches and caused pain.” And he gave the impression that the Pope had decided to “hear a group of advisers without considering that this provision would have taken on the contours of a mere demonstration of power”. The cardinal is a raging river, and he does not shy away from criticizing the handling of the Becciu affair, the cardinal who is accused of enriching himself and his family with funds from the Vatican Secretariat of State. “You can’t punish someone without having proof of their guilt in hand. This type of action has happened frequently Vatican and it’s not just about the Becciu case alone, it’s even happened within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that some priests have been expelled overnight for no reason,” says Mueller. The Cardinal’s fault lies primarily with the mass media, which he says have compounded a “macroscopic problem.”
Becciu would have been “humiliated and punished before the whole world without being given a chance to defend himself. Now the end of the ongoing process before the Vatican court is expected. The presumption of innocence should apply to everyone, an inviolable good since the ancient Romans. But the former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith emphasizes part of the responsibility that he believes should be attributed to the pope: “Francis decided to punish him severely after someone went to him, in Santa Marta, to give him an article by To show L’Espresso, an Italian weekly, which reported on an investigation into the cardinal. But how do you act on a press article?” he concludes.
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