AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, the former prefect of the Vatican’s office overseeing doctrinal matters, criticized efforts to align the Catholic Church with prevailing cultural and social values in Western societies, stressing that such an approach has weakened the Church’s standing.
Referring to the expanding trend of secularism in Europe, Müller said reliance solely on modern political, economic, and cultural structures has failed to meet the spiritual and social needs of Western societies and, in some cases, has contributed to deep crises.
The former senior Vatican official also pointed to internal debates within the Catholic Church, particularly in Germany, noting that some currents are calling for wide-ranging reforms to the Church’s structures and teachings. However, he said experience shows that the more the Church adapts itself to contemporary cultural demands, the more participation by the faithful and its social influence declines.
Emphasizing the status of the Second Vatican Council, Müller described it as part of the Church’s tradition and stressed that it should not be interpreted in a way that leads to changes in the Church’s fundamental principles.
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