Cardinal Brandmüller: Pope Ignoring Dubia Puzzling – We Need Answers!
28 October… Cardinal Brandmüller demands Pope answer Dubia – Cardinal Brandmüller defends “Dubia”
(two now deceased)
Last year, four cardinals had made public their criticism of the Pope with their “Dubia”. For this they learned a great deal of counter-criticism. One of them now defends the requests to Francis.
The Four Dubia Cardinals- two now dead.
The German Cardinal Walter Brandmüller defended the “Dubia”, which he co-wrote, to Pope Francis. He understood the criticism that had triggered the publication of the questions. But the step was “only taken after a waiting for an answer”, he said in the interview of the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (Saturday). “And especially with regard to the fact that many believers have had the same questions and are waiting for an answer,” the Cardinal explained.
“What do you mean, what phone calls, letters, inquiries we get?”, Brandmüller continued. “They also say,” Why do you not do anything, you Cardinals ? “We finally made an oath of office and are by office advisers to the Pope.” They had asked for an audience, but they also did not receive an answer on this, the 88-year-old said.
In the context of his view of liberal interpretations of the Papal letter, the Cardinal emphasised: “It is a dogma that marriage is a sacrament and therefore indissoluble.” This means, “He who asserts that one can enter into a new marriage during his lifetime of his lawfully married wife is excommunicated, because this is an erroneous teaching, a heresy.” Whosoever is aware of a serious sin such as adultery, can only go to the Eucharist if he has previously repented, confessed, and been forgiven. 
He had “great concern that something would explode,” said the former President of the Vatican Historical Commission. The fact that the requests of thousands of people remained unanswered, raised questions. “This is really hard to understand,” the prelate said.
After all, the central question is: “Can something [be] good if something was a sin yesterday?” In addition, the question is asked whether there really are acts that are “morally reprehensible” under all circumstances – such as the killing of an innocent or adultery. “If in fact the first question should be answered with yes and the second with no – then this would be heresy, and, as a result, schism, division of the church,” said Brandmüller.
The Papal letter “Amoris laetitia” of 2016 is the reason for the “Dubia” (doubts). The Pope said that Catholics who had married again after a divorce could be admitted to the communion. The Cardinals Walter Brandmüller, Raymond Leo Burke and the now deceased Carlo Caffarra and Joachim Meisner first asked Francis personally, then in November last year publicly to clarify the interpretation and categorisation of “Amoris laetitia”. Source
Comments invited…
Comments (34)
Thank you for posting this, Madame Editor. Obviously, Cardinal Burke has been shouldering the burden of being the spokesman for the Dubia cardinals as well as promoting the traditional teaching of the Church re Penance, Holy Eucharist and Holy Matrimony (Crowning). Imho, for Cardinal Brandenmuller to speak out like this means that “the game’s afoot” (apologies to Arthur Conan Doyle) in earnest.
Margaret 🇺🇸
Margaret USA,
I hope something does happen soon as I think a lot of us are fed up with the damp squib dubia. We do need answers, so I hope the Cardinals pull out all the stops to get the Pope to respond to their questions sooner rather than later. I know the general feeling among my friends is that it’s a lost cause, nothing will happen. I do hope they’re wrong but the thing is taking forever, so I hope Cardinal Brandmüller and Cardinal Burke do quite a bit of insisting to get the Pope to answer them.
Dear Margaret Mary,
I agree with you 100%. However, when they do a formal correction it has to be perfect in every respect. One undotted “i” and the modernists will tear them to pieces and say that they’re trying to split the Church when the opposite is true.
And THIS might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back:
https://onepeterfive.com/italian-liturgist-alleged-to-be-working-on-ecumenical-mass-transubstantiation-is-not-a-dogma/
Don’t read it before dinner/breakfast – you’ll definitely lose your appetite.
I’m sorry if I ruined your feast day.
In Christ the King,
Margaret
P.S. To cheer you up: If I had $ 1 for every time someone called me “Margaret Mary” I’d be a rich lady. (My middle name is NOT Mary. 😉)
Margaret,
We discussed reports about this ecumenical Mass on another thread, but when I mentioned it to a friend (who is not online) after Mass recently, he replied drily that “we already have an ecumenical Mass – it’s called the novus ordo….” He does have a point!
Thank you for that report from 1P5 – I read the article and some comments. Shivers, spine, end of world, spring to mind!
Dear Madame Editor,
I was shocked when I saw the title and angry while reading it. God forbid that this should happen!
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! Since we have no defense, we sinners offer this supplication to You, our Master: Have mercy on us!
Troparion of General Intercession and Penitence, Tone 6
Yours in Christ the King,
Margaret 🇺🇸
I am a convert of only 4 1/2 years – yes, I came to the Church right at the beginning of Pope Francis’s pontificate and, truly, I am exhausted already with the culture of make-believe and sophistry that exists among the prelature of the Catholic Church. How patient indeed are the cradle Catholics that have had to put up with this nonsense for decades???
If Cardinal Brandmüller is truly confused about the non-reaction to the Dubia then I submit it is reasonable to doubt his competency. If he is not confused, then one may reasonably doubt his commitment to speak the truth and/or his personal courage.
What other reasonable options are there in the reading of this report? A “mistranslation”?
What confusion can there be at this point?
The Pope has clearly affirmed his position in his responses to various statements and positions made by other competent authorities in the prelature that are lower down the hierarchy; Cardinal Schoenborn, the Maltese Bishops, the Argentine Bishops. Does Cardinal Brandmüller not read the news?
What is needed now is swift action, not more pretending that the Pope is eager to defend the faith and the consistent doctrines of the past. Yet…we get more nonsense from what we are left with calling one of the best Catholic prelates. If this is the best the Church has to offer, I shudder what what we think is an example of the worst!
Now from my reading of Catholic history and religious documents it appears clear that this culture of disingenuous {Let’s pretend it’s this way!”} has permeated the CC for many years and it mus be the first casualty in the war to restore the faith.
CCC 1697 demands no less. Jesus Himself demands no less; “Let your yea be yea and your nay, nay”!
God Save the Catholic Church.
Roderick there is no Easy way for us Catholics to get a seat at a Top Table (unless of course like Fr Morton your pushing an Evil Agenda) Francis is what we and probably you would call a Flyman he’s also do not forget got the M.S.M in the Palm off his hands or if you prefer A Seat On His Private Airplane.
Do you honestly think that the likes of the B B C and A B C are going to report anything that is bad about him; sure Elton John wants him Cannonised a Saint while he’s still alive. Also let’s not forget the Fillial Correction that has been sent out to him which he has completely ignored. We know Christ’s words about being in The World but not of The World. Most of us on here would agree that that is the exact opposite of Francis. The man is also very cute when it comes to Speaking as you well know. Also there are Very Very Powerful Men and Companies behind him; do you think that he has now actually made an 8th work of Corporal Mercy to the Climate Change Mafia for NOTHING. To be a voice for good in our Catholic Church today is like John The Baptist- a voice crying in the Wilderness. God Bless.
I am a convert of only 4 1/2 years and truly, I am exhausted already with the culture of make-believe and sophistry that exists among the prelature of the Catholic Church. How patient indeed are the cradle Catholics that have had to put up with this nonsense for decades???
If Cardinal Brandmüller is truly confused about the non-reaction to the Dubia then I submit it is reasonable to doubt his competency. If he is not confused, then one may reasonably doubt his commitment to speak the truth and/or his personal courage.
What other reasonable options are there in the reading of this report? A “mistranslation”?
What confusion can there be at this point?
The Pope has clearly affirmed his position in his responses to various statements and positions made by other competent authorities in the prelature that are lower down the hierarchy; Cardinal Schoenborn, the Maltese Bishops, the Argentine Bishops. Does Cardinal Brandmüller not read the news?
What is needed now is swift action, not more pretending that the Pope is eager to defend the faith and the consistent doctrines of the past. Yet…we get more nonsense from what we are left with calling one of the best Catholic prelates. If this is the best the Church has to offer, I shudder to think what is an example of the worst!
Now from my reading of Catholic history and religious documents it appears clear that this culture of disingenuousness {Let’s pretend it’s this way!”} has permeated the CC for many years. It must be the first of the Enemy’s casualties in the war to restore the faith.
CCC 1697 demands no less. Jesus Himself demands no less; “Let your yea be yea and your nay, nay”!
God Save the Catholic Church.
{ETA; Cleaned up for typos. Laptop + thuggy fingers…}
Roderick T Halvorsen,
I’m always amazed that new converts still come into the Church! That’s wonderful so if you can be bothered sharing your story, I’d love to know what brought you in!
The Bible.
I come from a long line of Methodist ministers and I myself hold a Masters Degree in Theology from a Wesleyan Seminary.
But a lifetime of Bible reading and connection to Methodist, Anglican, Lutheran and Evangelical ecclesial groups convinced me that NONE of them hold to the fullness of the Sacred Scriptures.
I scratched my head continuously.
I was raised “moderately anti-Catholic” and while teaching Reformation historical theology in a Lutheran ecclesial group, I decided to “hang the Catholics with their own words”. About Catholic teaching, I knew only that the it hadn’t changed on dogmatic issues so I bought a copy of the CCC and went to it. About two or three weeks into the class I knew something wasn’t quite right. Because what the Church teaches IS what the Scriptures manifestly display. And I found Luther a serious concern.
So I and my wife walked a block up the street to a Catholic Church and spoke to the new, young, Mexican priest. He gave us the straight line and 8 months of RCIA later, we were received into the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church in 2013, just a little while after Bergoglio was elected. THANK GOD I didn’t run into a Bergoglian priest who might have told me as Bergoglio told Anglican Archbishop Venables to stay where I was, as “We need you there”!
Well, I, my wife and now all of my young adult kids are Catholic. And they and their spouses are having Catholic babies! And we are not going anywhere. There is a spiritual war to be fought in the Catholic faith, and we are committed to being in the middle of it. We aren’t going anywhere.
Here at the end of October in the 500th anniversary year of the attack on Holy Mother Church by the arch-heresiarch Martin Luther, it seems appropriate for me to say about my conversion TO the Catholic faith;
“Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me…..AND HE DOES!”
Praise Jesus Christ for His Church and may He raise up prelates to defend Her. She is in the ditch right now and the vested ones keep walking by.
Who will stand in the Gap for our Lord?
I guess it is going to take us lay folk. At least for a while!
Dear Rod,
First of all, welcome home to the Catholic Faith. This isn’t the easiest time to be a Catholic. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the story of Alphonse Ratisbone, who was born Jewish and immediately converted to the Catholic Faith upon seeing Our Lady. The priest who heard his story read to him these verses from Scripture:
“Son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation.
Humble thy heart, and endure: incline thy ear, and receive the words of understanding: and make not haste in the time of clouds.
Wait on God with patience: join thyself to God, and endure, that thy life may be increased in the latter end.
Take all that shall be brought upon thee: and in thy sorrow endure, and in thy humiliation keep patience.
For gold and silver are tried in the fire, but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation.
Ecclesiasticus 2: 1-5
The priest then asked him if he still wanted to be received into the Church. Alphonse said yes, the priest baptized him, and the rest is history.
Btw, it’s nice to see you on the other side of the pond. I always learn something from your posts on 1P5 and other Catholic blogs. I’m glad you found CT.
Wishing you and yours a happy feast day.
In Christ the King,
Margaret
P.S. Do you live on the U.S. or British side of the pond?
Thank you so very much. Those are what one might call hard words of encouragement!!
I’m here in the USA. The internet sure makes us feel close together, tho, doesn’t it?
Dear Rod,
You’re welcome. I was fascinated by the conversion story of Alphonse Ratisbone and remembered those verses.
I’m glad we do have the internet. Honestly, my online friends help keep me going as well as prayer, the Sacraments, the intercession of Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints who pray for me and most of all the grace and mercy of God.
We have to stick together. The crisis in the Church WILL end – please God it will end soon.
Sending (virtual) hugs to you and yours.
In Christ the King,
Margaret 🇺🇸
P.S. My nom de plume is Margaret USA here on CT but on Disqus it’s just Margaret (with the icon of Our Lady of Tenderness). I’m Ukrainian Greek Catholic – same pope, different Liturgy.
And one more thing.
Indeed, except for the value of what is “on paper”, this whole argument may be for naught…
Let us not forget that we have it from many sources that this argument has essentially reached esoteric status in the Church as divorced/remarried folks are routinely communed all over the world REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE TEACHING OF THE CHURCH IS. If the prelates think they have done their job by merely asserting some doctrinal fact that will exist only on paper, and have not demanded the enforcement of it in practice, then they are…again…just playing games.
Right now we are in a crisis not just of doctrine, but of practice in the CC. All the world over we know that Catholics are well known for NOT affirming the faith and are known {we have polls here in the USA showing something like 70% don’t even believe in the Real Presence and Catholics divorce and live out private morality just as the pagans do} indeed, for not obeying it, and…nobody or almost nobody is doing anything about it.
As the right doctrine still yet resides “on paper” in the CC, what is truly wrong with the Church today isn’t Her “paper” teaching, it’s Her “street practice”. The problem is the absolute or near absolute lack of discipline applied to enforce that doctrine. GONE are the excommunications, anathemas, condemnations and interdicts of the past.
We can even hang a date on when this new paradigm was launched; when Pope John XXIII called for same in clear language in his opening address to Vatican 2.
I do not believe I’ve ever seen any organization or corporation that does so little to enforce its mission statement and goals.
Indeed, can you even imagine a secular corporation allowing its leaders to bad mouth its products and tell its customers they can get just-as-good or nearly-as-good products from some other company? Can you imagine a corporate leader condemning its employees for trying to sell it products to those who need them?
“For the sons of this world are, for their own generation, more prudent than the sons of light.”
God Save the Catholic Church.
Roderick,
Yours is a welcome and heartwarming story – welcome to the Church Militant, which, as you apparently already know, has been all but eclipsed by the Church Effeminate and the Church Marxist. May your spiritual armor be strong – you will need it to withstand the dark days ahead.
As for the Dubia, you will find that the mills of the Church grind slowly…especially during this unparalleled crisis, where clinging to the Faith means marginalization, insult and even punishment.
May I ask, have you found a Traditional Mass? An essential part of the armor….
Roderick T Halvorsen
A beautiful story of conversion. Thank you for sharing it.
Roderick Halvorsen
Very well said! With Cardinal Brandmüller now speaking out in public it seems there may be some truth to the rumour that a substantial and growing number of prelates are really becomming frustrated with Pope Francis and his apparent underhand assaults on the Faith. I can see something very big happening soon.
In the meantime, it’s great to read comments from staunch converts to the true religion. More power to your fingers, “thuggy” or otherwise!
Thank you, and by all mean, you MAY ask!
Yes, a wonderful FSSP parish!
A blessed Christ the King Sunday to you!
Roderick,
I absolutely LOVE conversion stories and yours is a wonderful account of God’s grace at work in a sincere soul.
We had the great joy of meeting an unbaptised woman who came along (booked a ticket at the last minute) to our Conference in honour of Our Lady of Fatima, 13 May, the 100th anniversary of the first apparition. I had the impression that she wanted to learn more about the Catholic Faith, so a couple of us arranged to meet with her for tea/coffee and a chat.
In fact, I had misunderstood. What she told us, stunned us to the core. She hadn’t really been looking for information on Catholicism – she began a search to get to know more about Our Lord, and along the way encountered a number of Catholic websites and blogs including ours, and so she signed up to receive our newsletter by email. Little did any of use realise that she would soon be the subject of our front page report in July – I’ll leave you to read her story in her very own words by downloading our July 17 edition from our Newsletter archives section here…
I see RCA Victor has asked if you have yet found the traditional Latin Mass (and I’m delighted to note that you have, indeed, found the TLM); the amazing thing about our convert is that her study of the various Catholic website and blogs had led her to understand the nature of the crisis in the Church and she tells us that, as soon as she realised she must become a Catholic, there was no issue about Mass, that it would have to be the traditional Mass and, moreover, that it would have to be the SSPX (you know, that “schismatic” bunch who have not change a single teaching of the Church or challenged a single moral law in the past fifty odd years! Yip, those “schismatics”!)
Anyway, I’m delighted you’ve found us and I think I can safely say that we all look forward to your input here for the foreseeable future – assuming we have a bit of a “foreseeable future” although I think we’re into a countdown, if not meltdown now, thanks to the shenanigans of Papa Francis – to put his shocking pontificate in the mildest possible terms!
And a very blessed Feast of Christ the King to you, as well!
WOW!!! I just downloaded the October 2017 issue. I can’t believe you actually wrote that under the picture of Pope Francis!!! That caption hit me right between the eyes. Has anyone ever told you that you’re one gutsy lady? 😉
Margaret 🇺🇸
Margaret,
I take it you refer to the front page cartoon of Pope Francis and Archbishop Tartaglia? It’s a quick – you can’t miss the point – way of underlining the nonsense of claiming that Russia has been consecrated because Russia is in the world and the world has been consecrated, and then going onto consecrate umpteen other nations, including Scotland, as if they’re NOT in the world! Glad you enjoyed it.
As for your concluding question… No, nobody has ever said that; most are too busy warning me that they’ll have my guts for garters!
Wishing our beloved Madame Editor and all the CT family a holy Feast of Christ the King!
+Come, let us adore the King our God!
+Come, let us adore Christ the King and our God!
+Come, let us adore and fall down before the very Lord, Jesus Christ, the King and our God!
Adoration of Christ the King at the end of the Beginning Prayers of each Hour
Margaret 🇺🇸
Alas! Here, the astonishing resistance of the modernist Cardinal Müller to Amoris Laetitia is over! The German prelate takes advantage of his long preface to the book of an Italian philosopher and politician, Rocco Buttiglione, Risposte amichevoli ai critici di Amoris laetitia (Friendly ripostes to the critics of Amoris Laetitia), to wisely stand alongside the apologists of bergoglian family morality.
Quite normal, moreover, for an ecclesiastic who showed, some of whom have forgotten a little fast, very progressive ideas, even heretical on certain points of doctrine… (Source MPI 31 October 2017)
IN ADDITION
Source MPI 31 October 2017
End of game for Cardinal Müller: he ranks behind Amoris Laetitia!
http://www.medias-presse.info/fin-de-partie-pour-le-cardinal-muller-il-se-range-derriere-amori
Lionel,
Disappointing but not surprising – it was actually surprising in the extreme when he stood against AL in the first place, given that he is an outright modernist himself. I’ve never forgotten our shock discussion when he was first appointed to the CDF.
Editor,
Unfortunately, I do not remember this thread, it must have been a long time ago!
Lionel,
I’ve just had a quick search for it and can’t find anything – it may have been on our old blog, now no longer in use (obviously!)
When Bishop Muller was first appointed by Pope Benedict to the CDF we discussed some of his writings and found them a tad unorthodox, to put it mildly. His denial of Transubstantiation springs to mind, plus he had some dodgy ideas about Our Lady, if I remember correctly. I’m sure a thorough Google search would bring up something, but right now it’s gone half-past midnight and I need my beauty sleep. Say nothing!
I now remember, thank you, Editor!
This Open Letter to the Pope from a theologian has just arrived in my inbox. Basically, the writer is telling the pope that “there is chaos in the Church and you are a cause”…
Holy Father, this brings me to my final concern. You have often spoken about the need for transparency within the Church. You have frequently encouraged, particularly during the two past synods, all persons, especially bishops, to speak their mind and not be fearful of what the pope may think. But have you noticed that the majority of bishops throughout the world are remarkably silent? Why is this? Bishops are quick learners, and what many have learned from your pontificate is not that you are open to criticism, but that you resent it. Many bishops are silent because they desire to be loyal to you, and so they do not express – at least publicly; privately is another matter – the concerns that your pontificate raises. Many fear that if they speak their mind, they will be marginalized or worse.
Read entire article/letter here
Editor,
One has the impression that the Church was put into liquidation and that the bishops are no more than “ecclesiastical functionaries”, without any really pastoral concern!…
They give themselves over to an excessive religious syncretism and follow the decadent, “ideologically correct” movement of civil society, which is essentially secular…
The Hierarchy is in a state of generalized apostasy, it is shouting in words and deeds!
I have never heard it put so succinctly!!!!
Very powerful imagery…and were it not so!!
God Save the Catholic Church.
Capuchin Father Thomas Weinady, a former theologian for the U.S. Bishops asked to resign as their consultant after telling Pope Francis in his letter his papacy is marked by “chronic confusion”, and that the Pope teaches with “a seemingly intentional lack of clarity”.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-u.s.-bishops-ask-theologian-to-resign-after-letter-criticizing-pop
This news about Father Weinady is heartening indeed! If Pope Francis can continue to ignore the Dubia about Amoris Laetitia, what chance will the Pope give about “his papacy marked by chronic confusion”.
Theresa Rose,
I am about to launch a thread dedicated to this sacking, so please everyone hold fire for now. Thank you.
I am not sure where to post this but this is the only thread I can see about the pope so hope I’ve got it right! It’s saying there can never be an ecumenical Mass and I remember seeing something on this blog about an ecumenical Mass.
http://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2017/11/03/an-ecumenical-mass-is-impossible-says-german-cardinal/
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