Cardinal: Next Pope Must Resist the Influence of the “gay lobby.”

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As the Roman Catholic Church prepares for the conclave that will select the successor to Pope Francis, a deep ideological divide is surfacing among the cardinals, with one prominent conservative warning of what he calls the dangers of “ideological lobbies.” Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, a German prelate and vocal critic of progressive currents within the Church, emphasized the need for the next pope to return to doctrinal orthodoxy and resist what he termed the influence of the “gay lobby.”

 

Speaking to La Stampa, Cardinal Müller stated, “The next pope must be strong on doctrine and determined to stand up to ideological lobbies, including the gay lobby.” He insisted that the Church must reaffirm teachings rooted in Scripture and apostolic tradition, warning against what he described as a drift toward heresy. “Doctrine is not the property of the pope, the bishops or the faithful,” he said. “It must conform to the word of Jesus, no one can modify it.”

 

 

He directly addressed the Church’s stance on marriage, saying, “If Jesus says that marriage is between a man and a woman, no one can change this doctrine. The homosexual lobby wants to equate marriage with unions between people of the same sex, but this totally contradicts the doctrine of the Bible.” He further criticized “gender ideology,” asserting that it runs counter to Catholic teaching.

 

The conclave, announced shortly after Pope Francis’s funeral in St. Peter’s Square, will begin on May 7. Cardinals will be locked inside the Sistine Chapel, as the name "conclave" – meaning "with key" in Latin – suggests. There, they will undertake the secretive process of electing the new pontiff.

 

This election is being seen as a crossroads for the Catholic Church. On one side are progressives seeking to extend the inclusive legacy of Pope Francis, while on the other are traditionalists eager to pull back what they view as doctrinal concessions. A total of 133 cardinal electors – out of 252 total cardinals in the Church – will be eligible to vote, having not yet reached the age of 80. Two eligible cardinals have withdrawn for health reasons, slightly narrowing the electorate.

 

Among those electors is Gualtiero Bassetti, 83, former head of the Italian Bishops Conference, who noted the logistical challenge ahead. “There could be some difficulties because there have never been so many cardinal electors and many of them don’t know each other,” he said. Still, he expressed optimism that the conclave would not drag on. “Even among cardinals that I don’t know, and among those who come from the far reaches of the world, I see a great love for the Church and the desire for it to have a new leader as soon as possible.”

 

Meanwhile, Cardinal Walter Kasper, who was considered close to Pope Francis, offered a more lighthearted response when asked about the ideal qualities of the next pope. “I don’t know, you’ll have to phone God and ask him. But I hope we can arrive at a consensus very quickly on who will be the next pope.”

 

Pope Francis appointed 108 of the 133 electors, which may tilt the outcome toward a candidate aligned with his more progressive views. However, the unprecedented number of voters and the diversity of perspectives has introduced considerable uncertainty. While the past two conclaves lasted only two days, this year’s could prove more unpredictable.

 

As the cardinals gather in Rome, many are also meeting informally in the restaurants and trattorias near the Vatican. Anselmo Guido Pecorari, 79, a retired Italian archbishop, had a humorous tip for his fellow clergy. “I advise my colleagues, especially the British and the Americans, to leave behind their red robes and to put their cardinal rings in their pockets. Otherwise, the restaurant owners try to take advantage of them and sting them for the wine.”

 

With tensions running high between competing visions for the Church's future, the upcoming conclave promises to be more than a ceremonial formality—it may shape the direction of Catholicism for decades to come.

 

  Adpated by ASEAN Now from The Telegraph  2025-05-01