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 Two eligible cardinals have withdrawn for health reasons, slightly narrowing the electorate.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

 

 

5 hours ago, Social Media said:

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.”

Well done the restaurant owners.  Payback for the thousands of years of buggery committed by so many in the catholic church. 😂

5 hours ago, Social Media said:

“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. If Jesus says that marriage is between a man and a woman, no one can change this doctrine.

Here's the thing, Muller, nobody can prove that Jesus said anything. Jesus did not write the Bible - any of the many Bible writers over the centuries can just attribute anything to Jesus and abracadabra it becomes doctrine because it conforms to the Church's political goals. The church arbitrarily creates doctrine and say it comes from Jesus, all without proof, and the church has lost all its credibility and trust with their unspeakable crimes against humanity that no one who has critical thinking will just take your word for it.

You are not an institution to better humankind, you are an above-the-law corporation to make profit.

2 hours ago, Watawattana said:

Well done the restaurant owners.  Payback for the thousands of years of buggery committed by so many in the catholic church. 😂

What a load of garbage and NO! I am not a Catholic.

Just one reason of many why I hate organized religion.

I am a practising Catholic, (heaven knows I need the practice!), and a confirmed heterosexual, but even I can see the irony in an old celibate man, in a white frock and a hat like that warning against the influence of "the gay lobby"!

 

My opinion, for what it is worth, is that Pope Francis tried to acknowledge, and find a place for, gay people within the Church, acknowledging and believing that they were amongst Gods children, and should not be turned away. It is perhaps fair to suggest that Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller does not view the gay community as charitably; cynically I doubt he views any views other than his own very charitably.

 

I doubt that Pope Francis came to that stance without much thought and prayer; his formation was after all as a Jesuit, and The Society of Jesus is known for intellectual rigour and orthodoxy. Mind you, it is also worth bearing in mind that you can never be absolutely certain what the SJ is going to do next!

 

Perhaps he (Pope Francis) was also mindful that he wanted to avoid the mess which the Church of England (or rather the worldwide Anglican Communion) finds itself in, various factions fighting to decide whether they want the next Archbishop of Canterbury to be male or female, gay or straight, celibate or at it like rabbits on Viagra!