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Cardinal Muller says no to second marriage without annulment
That is precisely the theme of the next synod on “the mission of the family in the Church and in the world.” Will a synthesis be possible between the very different views that divided the last assembly?
Card. G.L.M.: As prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, I am responsible for unity in the faith. I cannot take sides. But things are clear: we have the words of Jesus regarding marriage and their authentic interpretation throughout the long history of the Church — the Councils of Florence and Trent, the synthesis made by Gaudium et spes and the whole magisterium that came after. From a theological standpoint, everything is quite clear: we are facing the secularization of marriage, with religious marriage separated from the civil pact.
Thus we have lost the elements that constitute marriage as a sacrament and a natural institution. The Church’s message regarding marriage goes against such secularization. We must recover the natural foundations of marriage and emphasize its sacramental nature for those who are baptized as a means for grace to permeate the spouses and the whole family.
Could the bishops’ conferences have greater latitude on these topics?
Card. G.L.M.: We have to distinguish two levels: the dogmatic level and the level of concrete organization. Jesus instituted the Apostles with Peter as the principle for unifying the faith of the Church and its sacramental communion. It is an institution that exists by divine right. Beyond that, we have canonical structures that change according to the circumstances. The episcopal conferences are an expression of the collegiality of the bishops at the level of a country, a culture or a language, but this is a practical organization. The Catholic Church exists as a universal Church, in the communion of all the bishops united under the pope. It also exists in the local churches. But the local church is not the Church of France or Germany: it is the Church of Paris, of Toulouse, etc. They are the dioceses. The idea of a national Church would be totally heretical. Autonomy in faith is impossible. Jesus Christ is the savior of all; He unifies all human beings.
Is it possible to make disciplinary changes without affecting doctrine?
Card. G.L.M.: Discipline and pastoral concerns must act in harmony with doctrine. Doctrine is not an ideal theory that would be corrected in practice, but the expression of the truth revealed in Jesus Christ.
With regard to divorced people who remarry, is it conceivable that, after following a path of penitence, a second union could be recognized that would not have a sacramental character?
Card. G.L.M.:** It is impossible to have two wives. If the first union is valid, it is not possible to enter into a second one at the same time. A path of penitence is possible, but not a second union. The only possibility is to return to the first, legitimate union, or to live in the second union as brother and sister: that is the Church’s position, in agreement with the will of Jesus. I would add that it is always possible to try and obtain an annulment from an ecclesiastical tribunal.**
In your view, does the solution lie in relaxing canonical rules?
Card. G.L.M.: That is what Benedict XVI had requested. Unfortunately, for a some Catholics, the celebration of marriage is no longer anything but a folk custom; for others, it has a sacramental meaning. It is up to the Church tribunal to prove its whether it is a true sacrament or not. Canon law can be adapted to concrete situations.
Cardinal Muller says no to second marriage without annulment
That is precisely the theme of the next synod on “the mission of the family in the Church and in the world.” Will a synthesis be possible between the very different views that divided the last assembly?
Card. G.L.M.: As prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, I am responsible for unity in the faith. I cannot take sides. But things are clear: we have the words of Jesus regarding marriage and their authentic interpretation throughout the long history of the Church — the Councils of Florence and Trent, the synthesis made by Gaudium et spes and the whole magisterium that came after. From a theological standpoint, everything is quite clear: we are facing the secularization of marriage, with religious marriage separated from the civil pact.
Thus we have lost the elements that constitute marriage as a sacrament and a natural institution. The Church’s message regarding marriage goes against such secularization. We must recover the natural foundations of marriage and emphasize its sacramental nature for those who are baptized as a means for grace to permeate the spouses and the whole family.
Could the bishops’ conferences have greater latitude on these topics?
Card. G.L.M.: We have to distinguish two levels: the dogmatic level and the level of concrete organization. Jesus instituted the Apostles with Peter as the principle for unifying the faith of the Church and its sacramental communion. It is an institution that exists by divine right. Beyond that, we have canonical structures that change according to the circumstances. The episcopal conferences are an expression of the collegiality of the bishops at the level of a country, a culture or a language, but this is a practical organization. The Catholic Church exists as a universal Church, in the communion of all the bishops united under the pope. It also exists in the local churches. But the local church is not the Church of France or Germany: it is the Church of Paris, of Toulouse, etc. They are the dioceses. The idea of a national Church would be totally heretical. Autonomy in faith is impossible. Jesus Christ is the savior of all; He unifies all human beings.
Is it possible to make disciplinary changes without affecting doctrine?
Card. G.L.M.: Discipline and pastoral concerns must act in harmony with doctrine. Doctrine is not an ideal theory that would be corrected in practice, but the expression of the truth revealed in Jesus Christ.
With regard to divorced people who remarry, is it conceivable that, after following a path of penitence, a second union could be recognized that would not have a sacramental character?
Card. G.L.M.:** It is impossible to have two wives. If the first union is valid, it is not possible to enter into a second one at the same time. A path of penitence is possible, but not a second union. The only possibility is to return to the first, legitimate union, or to live in the second union as brother and sister: that is the Church’s position, in agreement with the will of Jesus. I would add that it is always possible to try and obtain an annulment from an ecclesiastical tribunal.**
In your view, does the solution lie in relaxing canonical rules?
Card. G.L.M.: That is what Benedict XVI had requested. Unfortunately, for a some Catholics, the celebration of marriage is no longer anything but a folk custom; for others, it has a sacramental meaning. It is up to the Church tribunal to prove its whether it is a true sacrament or not. Canon law can be adapted to concrete situations.
