Cardinal Muller: As a Future-Oriented People, We Must Give Hope
Pope Francis Is Affirming Importance of
Matrimony, Family for All Mankind, Says CDF Prefect
Vatican
City, November 20, 2014 (Zenit.org)
The prefect of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith says matrimony isn't only a reality
which plays a role in the Catholic Church and life, but also is important for
all mankind.
In an interview with ZENIT
this week in the Vatican, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller explains why
marriage and the family must be bolstered and how the Vatican, along with
various other faiths, is actively doing so, and how witnessing the different
faiths affirm marriage together is like a Pentecostal miracle.
While saying how the Holy
Father is committed to supporting the family, the top Vatican official also
reflected on the International Colloquium on the Complementarity of Man and
Woman, taking place in the Vatican, Nov. 17 -19, its goals, and whether it's
related to the Synod of Bishops on the Family.
Cardinal Müller spoke to
ZENIT on the sidelines of the three-day conference which ended Wednesday and
was sponsored by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and
co-sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Family, the Pontifical Council
for Interreligious Dialogue, and
the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.
***
ZENIT: Could you speak a
little bit on the Colloquium on the Complementarity of Man and Woman, its
goals, and how the Holy Father has been supporting this congress and addressing
this topic?
Cardinal Müller: The Holy Father spoke many
times about the absolute importance of matrimony and the family, for children,
for the good future of mankind, and therefore, he created two synods with
bishops of the Catholic Church. Yet, [the synod is with the] bishops of only
the Catholic Church. But we see that the basis is wider and more profound as we
see in the common testimony of nearly all the world religions. Therefore, we
have this congress, this international colloquium, of 14 world religions who
are representing billions of mankind It's like this Pentecostal miracle to see
this unanimity of all these different cultures and religious traditions,
regarding [the] matrimony of man and woman. And they all have the same opinion
and conviction that the cell of the good evolution of mankind, the development
for persons, for couples, for communities is the basic relation of one man and
one woman and their love forever.
ZENIT: What do you hope
people will take away from this congress?
Cardinal Müller: We have other
international organizations in some states, they're promoting another vision
that's contrary to the natural basis of man and woman as [a] social
engineering, [a] social construct. But matrimony and family is a dignity of a
person, its not a social construct given by them to make themselves feel more
intelligent than others. There's a form of new colonialism and its a feeling of
being higher, more intelligent in the Western World than in other countries of
the economical development. And though, in this sense, we can't have an
approach to the common affairs and common problems in the world. We have to
respect all and everybody, and this conviction can't have some groups and
ideological formations. We want to be as a teacher of all. We cannot divide
mankind, as some who are teachers and others who are disciples. Everybody has
the same right to express [themselves] and to live according to [their]
religious, philosophical convictions, according to [their] conscience. We have
a common testimony, and we have a common, deep testimony. And all the history
of this basic importance of the relation of man and woman in matrimony. And
this will be the future. And I can say that we as a future-oriented people,
that we are the true progressives.We must give more hope, a new future for all
man, and the best basis, as a love of [mankind], matrimony and their marriage.
ZENIT: Is this colloquium
in any way tied to the synod, or will it contribute to the synods next phase?
Cardinal Müller: No, the planning was
independent of the synod. But we always had the same interreligious efforts. But
it's a help, I think it's important though for Catholic theology to see that
matrimony is not only a sacrament on the order of salvation but as a fruit in
Creation. It's always been a conviction of Catholic theology that matrimony
isn't only a reality which plays a role in the Catholic Church and life, but is
also important for all mankind.
ZENIT: You mentioned
how there are other religions taking part in this colloquium. How are they
contributing?
Cardinal Müller: Not only other religions,
but all other confessions, not only Catholics. And they have the same rights to
explain themselves. We have so many statements from all those representatives
of the 14 world religions and (there are) presentations. We have a very good
mutual understanding. Everyone, everybody has full respect for the other. This
is very important to see how all are coming together in the same basic mission.
***
On
ZENITs Web page:
Popes
Address to Open Conference: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-francis-address-at-opening-of-colloquium-on-complementarity-of-man-and-woman
Cardinal
Müllers Address to Open Conference: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/cardinal-mueller-s-address-at-colloquium-on-man-woman-complementarity
On the
NET:
On the
Colloquium on the Complementarity of Man and Woman: http://www.humanum.it
(November 20, 2014) © Innovative Media Inc.
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