VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis had many admirers throughout his pontifical reign but in the process, he alienated some conservative prelates such Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, 77, the prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and editor of the Opera Omnia of Benedict XVI, was quoted as saying by Fatto Quotidiano newspaper that he does not wish to see “another Francis” as the enxt pontiff.

 Cardinal Müller was first called to Rome by Joseph Ratzinger himself in 2012 to lead the department that the theologian pope had governed for almost a quarter of a century, in 2014 he was made a cardinal by Francis, however, in 2017, Bergoglio abruptly dismissed him at the end of his first five-year term as head of the department.

 Muller stressed the importance of choosing a candidate “according to the supernatural criteria of fidelity to Catholic doctrine” and that “the pope or anyone in the Church must not confuse this personal mission that comes from Jesus Christ to be the vicar of Christ on earth, the successor of Peter, with a political office, with power, living and speaking according to the pleasure of the world, of the mass media or of various lobbies that with their agenda, globalist or gender ideology, want to govern the world according to the criteria of atheism that deny human nature, also deny divine nature and life.”

 While questioned on the blessing of gay couples before marriage, which famously Francis took a more lenient approach on, saying that while the church may not bless the marriage itself, the parties may both individually receive blessings, Müller responded thar “Nobody knows exactly what is behind this statement. There was no advice from the other members of the dicastery and that is why the level of authority of this statement is very low. There is no reception by the Church in Africa.” He continued saying that it is his belief that pro-gay lobbyists simply want to use “the Church for their propaganda, but they are not interested in the new life in Jesus Christ.”

 He also brought up Francis’ controversial restriction of the Latin mass, noting that there are many who preferred mass to be given in Latin. 

 On the topic of previous popes and whether he believed them to be good or not, Müller outright refused to condemn past popes but did have some choice words about what in his opinion makes a good pope saying, “they are not commanders of an army and nor should they act like some politicians who have a certain authoritarianism. The Pope must not be a weak person, he must have a healthy character.” 

 The role of pontiff has always historically, however, been a political role. This refers not just to the centuries of Medici and Borgia in fighting for the role of Pontifex but even in more recent years it cannot be forgotten the important role the pope has played politically. John Paul II was famously instrumental in sparking the public processes that lead to the break-up of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war. 

 When asked about whether he wished to see a Benedict XVII or Francis II the cardinal responded that he would rather that the next pope not give himself a name that could be understood almost as a programme to imitate any of the recent popes, as “this is not the meaning of this divine indication.” 

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