Müller adversus Haereticos

His Eminence Gerhard Cardinal Müller
(Photo: Lauren Cater/CNA)

Cardinal Gerhard Müller, current Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, made his most unambiguous defense of the unity of the magisterial and pastoral offices of the Church this past Tuesday, and has subsequently become the first high-ranking prelate to earnestly use the "H" word in recent memory. As reported by L'Osservatore Romano and kath.net, the Cardinal said:

Any separation of the theory and the practice of the faith would, in its formulation, represent a subtle christological heresy. 

Cardinal Müller was referring to the Gospel of St. John, which contains a key christological fact taught by Our Lord Himself: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life" (14:6). To separate the intellectual component of Christ's teaching, i.e. "the Truth," from the practice of the same, i.e. "the Life," would be to introduce a subtle and dangerous division within Christ - and to espouse heresy.

One can't help but be reminded of the comments made by Cardinal Wuerl two months ago, in which he attempted to introduce precisely such a division between doctrine on the one hand and pastoral application of doctrine on the other. Of course, Cardinal Müller did not direct his comment to any one prelate in particular. But the signal is clear: with Müller at the helm of the CDF, the days of unchecked lackadaisical pastoral theology are drawing to a close.

While I have reservations regarding some of the details of Cardinal Müller's own theological opinions as hitherto expressed, I think this demonstrates a clear intent on his part to faithfully defend the Depositum Fidei from at least the more egregious attacks of the - may we say it, finally? - heretics.