Cardinal Brandmüller: "The Churches Empty, and the Coffers Are Filled"

Cardinal Brandmüller criticized German bishops: have not the bishops promised at ordination to proclaim the Gospel of Christ faithfully and to preserve the deposit of faith in the Church always holding tradition pure and complete?

Rome (kath.net) The German Cardinal Walter Brandmüller has directed harsh criticism of the German Bishops on certain social developments in an interview with the "Rheinische Post". When asked whether the affluent Church has a lesson to learn by being publicly beaten, Brandmüller said that it is the forces that dominate so-called public opinion, which has succeeded in formulating laws of "political correctness". Anyone contrary to this, is risking a media execution.

At the same time we have the phenomenon of the spiral of silence. In this succession, the majority which may see such an execution sits in silence. "The fact that such behavior was appropriate to Christians when it comes to fundamental questions of faith and morals of Christ's Gospel, no one will argue. What did we say when received the Sacrament of Confirmation? And: Did not the bishops promise at their ordination, to proclaim the Gospel of Christ faithfully and to preserve the deposit of faith, according to what was always and everywhere held in the Church's tradition, purely and completely," said Brandmüller. The cardinal recalled that the good Shepherd is not likely to be afraid of the wolves. He sees the Christian spirit the most in youthful movements and communities, but not in "ecclesiastical establishment."

Critical to Brandmüller was then also critical of the "institutional tank" of the Catholic Church in Germany. "What good is a 'Catholic' kindergarten when Santa Claus, an the Easter Bunny, etc. is mentioned instead of Jesus Christ? What help is a Catholic 'hospital when there get there no priest, no sister, who prays for the sick and operations are performed, which are contrary to the Christian moral law? It would be better, indeed necessary, in fact, that the Church is separated from such ballast, if it is not possible to fill the empty vessels with a Christian spirit," says the Cardinal.

To the development that believers are becoming fewer and that money increases, Brandmüller says that this is absurd. "The churches empty, and the coffers are filled. What is in place is a self-sufficient expensive apparatus, which drowns the voice of the Gospel with his rattling. Here, in fact, detachment from the world is called for, that is a thought that does not follow earthly economic principles, but the truth of the faith. We should at last, instead of preaching a 'Christianity light', have the courage to call for a program contrasted from today's the social mainstream, and exemplify what the Ten Commandments and the ethics of the New Testament contain. This alternative to the morbid world of antiquity was then a successful program. It would also prove its attraction again today. " Entire Interview with: Walter Cardinal Brandmüller in German: "The good shepherd must not be afraid of wolves" Link to Kath.net...

Trans: Tancred vekon99@hotmail.com

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