Cardinal Gerhard Müller has called on the Roman Catholic Church to elect a pope who will firmly resist ideological pressures - including what he terms the "gay lobby" - as the Church prepares for a new conclave following Pope Francis' death at 88.
Speaking to Italian newspaper La Stampa, the 77-year-old German cardinal emphasised that the next pontiff must be “determined to counter ideological and power lobbies,” and “steadfast in the faith, authoritative, firm, respectful, strong in doctrine, and independent of pressure.”
Müller, student of the late Pope Benedict XVI, expressed concern about what he sees as a growing trend toward compromise within Church leadership. “Ideology must not take over the Conclave,” he warned. “The strength of the Church lies in truth, not in compromises.”
Calling for a return to theological orthodoxy, Müller urged the next pope to prioritise “doctrine founded on Scripture and apostolic tradition.”
Though often described as a critic of Pope Francis, Müller rejected the label, claiming he has only sought to clarify issues that concern the faithful. “I simply responded to questions from the faithful,” he told La Stampa, referring to controversial issues such as homosexuality and the Church’s teaching on marriage.
“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 change it.”
He continued: “If Jesus says that marriage is between a man and a woman and is indissoluble, no pope can change this doctrine. The homosexual lobbies want to equate unions between people of the same sex to marriage, but this totally contradicts the doctrine of the Bible. We can discuss individual pastoral care - guiding people towards the Christian life - but we cannot accept gender ideology, which is contrary to the doctrine of the Church.”
One of the most controversial moments during Francis’s papacy came in 2023, when he approved the blessing of same-sex couples under specific pastoral conditions. The move was met with strong opposition, particularly from bishops across Africa and parts of Asia, who refused to implement the policy in their dioceses. It was one of several decisions with which Müller publicly disagreed.
Müller will be among the cardinals entering the Sistine Chapel on 7th May to elect the next pope. Among the likely contenders is 70-year-old Cardinal Pietro Parolin, often referred to as Francis’ "second in command" and widely reported as a frontrunner.
According to Catholic commentator Joe Ronan, this conclave features a slightly younger group than in previous years.
Speaking to Premier Christian News, he said: “I think there are 15 under the age of 60, and the average age is about 70,” noting that the youngest participating cardinal is 45.
