Cardinal: Church must not succumb to US political factions

In a statement earlier this month, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising, said the divisions of US politics were appearing in Germany. He said that right-wing movements often thought they had points of connection with the Church, “but what comes from the extreme right is always divisive”.

“Among us are many who are not democratic, something we have to watch out for,” Cardinal Marx said. “How do we manage to stay in touch with those who hesitate and waver?”

He said the Church must advocate for democracy, not just for its own survival but “for the sake of the people, so that our parishes, organisations and religious communities build bridges, set up lights and are instruments of peace”.

Cardinal Marx denied that the German bishops’ disagreements about the Synodal Path reform initiatives amounted to significant division. Although some bishops do not support plans to create a supra-diocesan synodal body, he said, should it receive approval from Rome, then the bishops would reach a consensus together.

From 2013 to 2023, Cardinal Marx served as a member of the C-9 Group of Cardinals advising Pope Francis on Church reform. He continues to serve as coordinator of the Vatican’s Council for the Economy.

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