Cardinal Müller: Most Catholics are clueless about marriage

by Carl E. Olson | CWR blog

That is my paraphrase of this story, which contains some direct, blunt words from the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith:

Just because many Catholics do not understand the Church’s teaching about the indissolubility of marriage, that does not mean the Church can change that teaching, said Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday — just days after the College of Cardinals held a two-day meeting to discuss the pastoral care of families — he said the widespread lack of understanding among Catholics about church doctrine was “lamentable.”

However, just because people don’t understand Jesus’ word doesn’t mean it can or should be changed, he said. “It would be paradoxical if the Church said, ‘Since not everyone knows the truth, the truth isn’t obligatory for the future.’”

Cardinal Müller than made this absolutely on-the-mark statement, one which goes to the heart of much of the confusion that exists among Catholics, as well as non-Catholics: "Doctrine and pastoral care are the same thing. Jesus Christ as pastor and Jesus Christ as teacher with his word are not two different people."

Exactly.

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