Click on a Cardinal's name to view his profile
Click on any of the 10 issues to learn more about them
| Cardinal |
Ordaining Female Deacons
Ordaining Female Deacons
|
Blessing Same-Sex Couples
Blessing Same-Sex Couples
|
Making Priestly Celibacy Optional
Making Priestly Celibacy Optional
|
Restricting the Vetus Ordo (Old Latin Mass)
Restricting the Vetus Ordo (Old Latin Mass)
|
Vatican-China Secret Accords
Vatican-China Secret Accords
|
Promoting a “Synodal Church”
Promoting a “Synodal Church”
|
Focusing on Climate Change
Focusing on Climate Change
|
Reassessing Humanae Vitae
Reassessing Humanae Vitae
|
Communion for Divorced & Remarried
Communion for Divorced & “Remarried”
|
German “Synodal Way”
German “Synodal Way”
|
|---|
| Cardinal |
Ordaining Female Deacons
Ordaining Female Deacons
|
Blessing Same-Sex Couples
Blessing Same-Sex Couples
|
Making Priestly Celibacy Optional
Making Priestly Celibacy Optional
|
Restricting the Vetus Ordo (Old Latin Mass)
Restricting the Vetus Ordo (Old Latin Mass)
|
Vatican-China Secret Accords
Vatican-China Secret Accords
|
Promoting a “Synodal Church”
Promoting a “Synodal Church”
|
Focusing on Climate Change
Focusing on Climate Change
|
Reassessing Humanae Vitae
Reassessing Humanae Vitae
|
Communion for Divorced & Remarried
Communion for Divorced & “Remarried”
|
German “Synodal Way”
German “Synodal Way”
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ambiguous The Church in Africa has “no particular difficulty” with the prospect of studying women’s access to the diaconate, Cardinal Ambongo stated at a Vatican briefing on October 22, 2024 during the Synod on Synodality.
|
Against “Extra-liturgical benedictions offered by Fiducia Supplicans will not be able to be given in Africa without giving rise to scandal,” he wrote in his statement announcing that he had obtained approval of this position in Rome. “Unions of persons of the same sex are considered contradictory to cultural norms and intrinsically evil,” he added.
|
Against Seminarians should be given a clear vision of what celibacy means, and choose it in all freedom: “But if you do, you must live in coherence with your free decision,” Cardinal Ambongo has said.
|
Ambiguous There are no diocesan celebrations of the Vetus Ordo in Kinshasa. Cardinal Ambongo has enthusiastically endorsed the Zairian rite which he sees as a “great asset” through its “creativity.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
In Favor Cardinal Ambongo is extremely favorable to the synodal process. He stressed the importance of this process as a “new way of being Church.”
|
In Favor Cardinal Ambongo insists “the climate crisis is a lived reality for people across Africa” and calls it “a moral outrage, a tragic and striking example of structural sin facilitated by callous indifference and selfish greed.” He has called on world leaders to “heed to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Ambiguous On the occasion of his 2022 interview with KTO, Cardinal Ambongo was questioned regarding the German synodal path which favors the ordination of women as priests. He did not strongly condemn the German synod but expressed surprise that it has taken place at a “national” level when synodality is a matter for the “universal Church.”
|
|
|
Against Cardinal Arborelius is opposed to the ordination of women as priests. Although he hasn’t specifically addressed the issue of women deacons, he has said that while it is of the “utmost importance” to find roles for women in evangelization, “at the same time, it is important to see that there are other ways” for women to serve the Church “than ordained ministry.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Against Cardinal Arborelius is in favor of maintaining the discipline of priestly celibacy and he does not believe that making priestly celibacy optional is a solution to clerical sexual abuse.
|
In Favor Cardinal Arborelius surprised many of the faithful by the extent to which he implemented Traditionis Custodes. Some parishes that weekly celebrated the Holy Mass according to the vetus ordo (sometimes in the Cathedral), were no longer allowed to do so. The priests who had celebrated the traditional Mass there had to go to other churches and chapels that did not belong to the Catholic Church.
|
Ambiguous In May 2024, three Chinese Bishops—Archbishop Li Shan of Beijing, Bishop Li Suguang of Nanchang (Jiangxi Province), and Bishop Luo Xuegan of Suifu—visited Stockholm, where they concelebrated Mass with Cardinal Arborelius and afterwards gave a presentation to the faithful on the work of the Church and the role of faith in Chinese society. It later came to light that all three bishops belonged to the Communist-sanctioned Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC), not approved by the Vatican. When some of the faithful complained, Cardinal Arborelius responded saying that the apostolic nuncio had backed and approved the visit.
|
In Favor Cardinal Arborelius sees it as an opportunity for spiritual renewal, deeper unity among Catholics, enhanced ecumenical dialogue, and a renewed focus on evangelization in a post-Christian world.
|
In Favor Cardinal Arborelius is strongly in favor, seeing it as safeguarding the Earth, nature, and the climate. He has expressed support for an international law against ecocide.
|
Against Humanae Vitae was officially published in Sweden only in 2007. In comments to Vatican Radio at the news of its publication, Cardinal Arborelius called the encyclical “prophetic in many respects.” To those for whom Humanae Vitae has become a “red flag associated only with Paul VI’s rejection of artificial birth control,” he said: “take and read, ponder and pray. In our own time, people are beginning to respect nature and its order more and more. It would be very strange if this reverence for nature and its inherent beauty did not also apply to sexuality and reproduction.”
|
In Favor Cardinal Arborelius is generally in favor, seeing it as “an issue for the entire Church to deepen.”
|
Against Cardinal Arborelius has spoken out forcefully against the Synodal Way, signing an open letter from Nordic bishops and a fraternal correction signed by 73 other bishops.
|
|
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Aveline has at times given the floor to women in liturgies, but without pronouncing himself in favor or against the ordination of women deacons.
|
Against Cardinal Aveline was one of the signatories of the communiqué issued by the Conférence des Evêques de France (French Bishops’ Conference) expressing caution about Fiducia Supplicans, and stressing that individuals, not couples, should be blessed.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Aveline has expressed openness to the possibility. In 2023, asked about priests being allowed to marry, he replied: “Oh, I don’t know about that! These are questions that don’t depend on opinions but on the needs of the people of God. It’s a real question; you can’t decide just because you’ve met, but it requires weighing up the pros and cons, analysing the criteria carefully and meditating.”
|
Against At the time of Traditionis Custodes, Cardinal Aveline renewed his confidence in the priests of his diocese celebrating in the Vetus Ordo. He has occasionally celebrated Mass in the Vetus Ordo, including since the publication of Traditionis Custodes.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
In Favor Cardinal Aveline also played a key role in the 2021-2024 Synod on Synodality, serving as a member of the commission that oversaw, amended and approved the draft of the synod’s synthesis report during the 2023 assembly. He was also elected to represent Europeans on a committee overseeing the writing of the final document in October 2024.
|
In Favor In 2021, Cardinal Aveline signed with Cardinal Peter Turkson a global petition titled “Health of the Earth, Health of Humanity,” linking biodiversity and climate, in the run-up to COP26 climate in Glasgow and COP15 biodiversity in China. The petition was devised by 300 Catholic associations to call for a link between climate and biodiversity. However, this concern for the climate remains discreet.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
|
|
Against Cardinal Bagnasco upholds the Church’s teaching that only men can receive Holy Orders.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Against Cardinal Bagnasco is firmly in favor of the discipline of priestly celibacy.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Bagnasco has not spoken in favor or against a synodal Church but has spoken about the Eucharist and Communion at a meeting on the Eucharist and Synodality in 2021.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Against In 2018 Cardinal Bagnasco described the encyclical as a “beacon for true love” and stressed that although circumstances may influence subjective perception, they do not change the objective nature of moral principles. He reiterated its relevance in the context of human dignity and Catholic morality and has given no indication that he wants it revisited.
|
Against Cardinal Bagnasco resisted the change, and firmly opposed the 2014 “Kasper Proposal” on which the new teaching was based.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
|
|
Against Cardinal Bo has not spoken about ordaining female deacons, but he is thought to be privately opposed given his previous pronouncements relevant to the issue.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Bo has not spoken on the issue. He has emphasized traditional Church teaching while also stressing mercy. He has stated that legalizing same-sex marriages is not acceptable to him, but pastoral care can be offered to bring people to the Church through mercy, suggesting he might be open to blessing same-sex couples.
|
Against Cardinal Bo has not spoken about making priestly celibacy optional, but he is regarded as having generally orthodox views and to most likely be opposed.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
In Favor Cardinal Bo has said climate change is “an atom bomb waiting to explode” and that the world faces “an environmental holocaust.” He has also said “global warming has devastated communities and the livelihoods of millions, threatening to slip away from the next generation.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
In Favor Cardinal Bo supported a more merciful approach before the Synod on the Family in 2015. He said he hoped the Church would “focus more on the individual rather than rules and regulations, and what is sin and what is not sin.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
|||
|
In Favor Although Cardinal Brislin has in the past reaffirmed the Church’s prohibition against the ordination of women, he has allowed a dissident group to set up in his diocese that supports women priests. Additionally, under Brislin’s watch, in 2022 the Capetown archdiocese published a synthesis report as part of its contribution to the Synod on Synodality which reads: “In the world of the twenty-first century today, it is important to hold onto the tradition, know its origins, but also to embrace change.” It added: “The strong traditions of the Church are also its weaknesses. The major restrictions that may hinder the progress of the Church are many and varied and include issues such as … the prohibition of women priests. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit of Hope will be with us all as we move forward in faith.”
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Brislin supported Fiducia Supplicans, emphasizing that the union isn’t blessed and that homosexuals have to live chastely.
|
In Favor Cardinal Brislin allowed a dissident group to set up in the diocese of Capetown which supports the ordination of married clergy. Under Brislin’s watch, in 2022 the Capetown archdiocese published a synthesis report as part of its contribution to the Synod on Synodality which said: “In the world of the twenty-first century today, it is important to hold onto the tradition, know its origins, but also to embrace change.” It added: “The strong traditions of the Church are also its weaknesses. The major restrictions that may hinder the progress of the Church are many and varied and include issues such as mandatory celibacy for priests and the prohibition of women priests. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit of Hope will be with us all as we move forward in faith.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
In Favor Cardinal Brislin has on several occasions spoken of his concerns about the environment and a need to tackle climate change.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Brislin defended Pope Benedict’s remarks on condoms in 2010 and emphasized this didn’t mean a change in doctrine. He repeated the Church’s stance on condoms under Pope Francis. However, the Capetown archdiocesan synthesis report published under Brislin’s leadership ahead of the 2023-2024 Synod on Synodality calls for a revisiting of Humanae Vitae. It states: “The marriage and birth control laws of the Catholic Church are seen as a problem. The Church’s position on contraception should be reconsidered as this teaching is unfavourable especially towards the poorer people in our communities. Many have verbalised that there is no space to have open discussions around safe contraception use and the Church’s teachings thereof.”
|
In Favor Yes, although Cardinal Brislin has not given specific and blanket support for allowing access, he supports Amoris Laetitia’s guidance and stresses the need to look at each case individually.
|
Unknown Unknown but it is unlikely that Cardinal Brislin supports the German Synodal Way’s support for radical change.
|
||
|
Against Commenting on Pope Francis’ post-synodal apostolic exhoratation, Querida Amazonia (The Beloved Amazon), Cardinal Burke said he was “very grateful” that the document seemed to say it wouldn’t be possible for women to be admitted to the diaconate.
|
Against Cardinal Burke has said of the German Synodal Way’s approval of same-sex blessings in 2023 that “these are sins against Christ Himself and… of the most serious nature. The Code of Canon Law provides the appropriate sanctions.” He added: “What [the German Synod’s decision] does is it renders the Church then into some kind of a human agency.”
|
Against Cardinal Burke said in a 2015 interview that making clerical celibacy optional “would be a very serious matter because it has to do with the example of Christ Himself, and the Church has always treasured in her priests the following of Christ’s example, also in His celibacy…It’s something more than a discipline, and therefore I would think it’s very difficult to conceive that there would be a change on this.”
|
Against Cardinal Burke is firmly opposed to Traditionis Custodes which he called “severe and revolutionary” and questioned the Pope’s authority to revoke use of the rite.
|
Against Cardinal Burke has criticized the Chinese Communist Party and praised Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun who has been strongly critical of the accords, calling him “a true shepherd today for the Catholics in China who remain faithful to Christ and who suffer the persecution of the atheistic communist government of China.”
|
Against In a book foreword he wrote in 2023, Cardinal Burke said “synodality and its adjective, synodal, have become slogans behind which a revolution is at work to change radically the Church’s self-understanding, in accord with a contemporary ideology which denies much of what the Church has always taught and practiced.”
|
Against Cardinal Burke has not publicly addressed the issue but given his theological and political leanings, as well as his lack of focus on it, he is likely not to be in favor.
|
Against Cardinal Burke has defended its teachings and sees them as unchangeable doctrine. He has said that overturning Humanae Vitae would mean “rejecting the entire moral tradition of the Catholic Church.”
|
Against Cardinal Burke was one of the four dubia cardinals which questioned the new teaching, and contributed to the book Remaining in the Truth of Christ which argued against such a change.
|
Against In 2022 Cardinal Burke joined 70 bishops in signing an open letter expressing “growing concern” about the synodal way and warning that it was causing confusion and “potential for schism.”
|
|
|
Against Cardinal Bustillo told France3 in April 2024: “I think that we can’t say that they are of paramount importance regarding the transmission [of the faith] in particular and not give them any official role, it goes together. In my opinion, there is a risk with diaconal ordination, that is my personal opinion: (…) the risk of introducing a logic of power and not of authority. (…) The risk of giving diaconal or priestly ordination is that the priesthood or the diaconate will be seen not as a service but as a power.”
|
In Favor Cardinal Bustillo said it was a “shame” to react to Fiducia Supplicans with the logic of the world, “a bit like Facebook: ‘I like, ‘I don’t like.’ In the tradition of the Church, caring solutions are always proposed to painful and difficult situations.”
|
Ambiguous “It is an ecclesiastical law, it is not divine, so it could change,” Cardinal Bustillo has said about priestly celibacy. “Today it is considered inappropriate to change this law. The question is not divine.”
|
Against Two places of worship offer the Vetus Ordo in Corsica both on Sundays and during the week. These Masses, along with their schedules, are also announced on the website of the diocese of Ajaccio.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
In Favor “We mustn’t be afraid to talk about certain subjects, which are sometimes touchy and difficult,” Cardinal Bustillo said about synodality in 2023. He has said a diversity of opinion among Catholics can constitute a “welcome diversity, but we mustn’t forget our common heritage… we all believe in God.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
|
|
Against Cardinal Eijk has emphasized that such teaching cannot be changed by cultural or social pressure. Furthermore, he regards it as a topic in its death throes that is no longer relevant to young people seeking to encounter Christ in the Catholic Church. In an ordination homily in November 2024, he said that “young people do not come [to church] to discuss the ordination of women, because that is a topic from the 1960s that no longer interests them at all. They come to pray.”
|
Against Cardinal Eijk criticized a decisions by the Flemish bishops to introduce blessing ceremonies and believes that such irregular relationships cannot be blessed “because they are relationships that are contrary to God’s order of creation.”
|
Against In his 2010 pastoral letter Why Priests?, Cardinal Eijk has explained why he believes celibacy is inseparable from the priesthood. And in a 2018 interview, Eijk explicitly stated: “With [the implementation of ‘viri probati’], priestly celibacy would be lost, [and with it], a splendid and fruitful centuries-long tradition of the Latin Church.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Eijk sees synodality as “thinking about possibilities to create a church in which every member of the community participates in the mission of the Church.” But he recognizes that some participating in the process don’t understand synodality, seeing it as an opportunity to change doctrine. This he puts down to the consequences of secularization and individualism.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Against Cardinal Eijk has said the encyclical is nowadays “increasingly recognized as a prophetic document.” Rather than calling for a reassessment, he has reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s teaching on artificial contraception.
|
Against Cardinal Eijk believes any person desiring to receive Holy Communion must be in the state whereby he may receive the graces given in the sacrament.
|
Against Although Cardinal Eijk hasn’t specifically addressed the Germany Synodal Way he does not approve of many of the innovations it has commended such as same-sex blessings and a female diaconate.
|
|
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Against Although he has not commented on Fiducia Supplicans, given his insistence that the Church’s teaching be upheld, Cardinal Erdő is most likely to be opposed. He has firmly reiterated the Church’s position that “there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Ambiguous Responding to a fake report saying Cardinal Erdő was against Traditionis Custodes, his archdiocese said it was acting in accordance with the papal document. On the other hand he has been willing to permit celebration of the TLM in his diocese.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Against Cardinal Erdő has always been a staunch defender of the unitive and procreative ends of marriage, seeing “openness to life as an intrinsic requirement of conjugal love.” He has called for the document’s “openness to life” to be “rediscovered” and has made no call for it to be revisited.
|
Against Cardinal Erdő has stressed that civilly remarried Catholics can only receive Communion if they live in continence, meaning they abstain from sexual relations, in line with the teaching of Pope St. John Paul II. During the Synod on the Family at which he was relator general, Erdő issued a report stressing that any pastoral approach must not compromise the truth of marriage’s indissolubility.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
|
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Filoni has acknowledged the historical significance of the 2018 Provisional Agreement, viewing it as an important step. But he also expressed understanding for those who have doubts and perplexities about the accords, and said that he sometimes shared them himself.
|
Ambiguous Although Cardinal Filoni has not been explicit about synodality, he has expressed support for the Synod of Bishops, the post-conciliar development of laity having a greater say in the running of the Church, and the work of bishops’ conferences in helping to mediate between clergy and laity.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
|
|
Ambiguous |
Ambiguous Cardinal Koch generally sought to avoid entering into the controversy over the Declaration Fiducia supplicans which gave permission for non-liturgical blessings of same-sex couples. He acknowledged that the declaration had caused problems with the Orthodox and said he thought it was important to “think again” about the issue in the context of ecumenical dialogue.
|
Ambiguous In the 1990s Koch favored ordaining married men as priests, in line with the viri probati model. He did not propose abolishing celibacy but wanted to support celibacy, while also allowing married priests to be admitted to the priesthood, adding that the price for making such a change was “very high.” (Kurt Koch, “Liturgischer Leitungsdienst in pastoralen Notsituationen. Eine ekklesiologische Problemanzeige,” Freiburg i. Br., 1999, p. 249. Quoted from: Corradini…, p. 84) However, he later changed his position. When asked in 2018 if the vocations crisis was an argument for abolishing mandatory celibacy, he replied: “No. The decisive issue is the situation of faith.”
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Koch hasn’t spoken for or against Traditionis Custodes but in the past he has advocated just one unique form of the Roman Rite, suggesting “that in the future there will be a reconciliation of the two forms, so that at some point we will have only one form as a synthesis instead of two different ones”.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Koch has spoken in support of synodality but also criticized it. “Synodality, if you take it seriously, means arguing with each other until no one has the impression that it contradicts the faith.”; “It is new that we here in the West are discovering that synodality is not something new in the Church, but has an old tradition.”; “[Papal] primacy must be exercised in a synodal manner, and synodality requires primacy”.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Ambiguous “There are still open theological questions here that need to be deepened”, Cardinal Koch said prior to the publication of Amoris Laetitia, adding that the problem is very complex and far from producing any concrete solution; he pointed, among other things, to the question of the relationship between the canonical validity of a marriage and the conviction of the faithful, in whose judgment the marriage may not have been valid.
|
Against “It irritates me that new sources are being accepted alongside the sources of revelation in Scripture and Tradition; and it frightens me that this is happening – again – in Germany,” Cardinal Koch said of the synodal way. “For this phenomenon already occurred during the National Socialist dictatorship, when the so-called ‘Deutsche Christen’ saw God’s new revelation in blood and soil and in the rise of Hitler”.
|
|
|
Against Cardinal Muller has consistently stated unequivocally that the ordination of women, either as priests or deacons, is impossible.
|
Against Cardinal Müller has strongly criticized and opposed Fiducia Supplicans. Some months before the document was published and commenting on same-sex blessings allowed through the German Synodal Way, Müller said such blessings were a “blasphemy.”
|
Against Cardinal Müller has staunchly defended priestly celibacy as an important tradition in the Catholic Church, although in 1988 he is on record as having advocated ordaining viri probati (proven married men) he has fully retracted such a view.
|
Against Cardinal Müller has been critical of Traditionis Custodes and since the publication of the motu proprio, has celebrated the traditional Mass and ordained priests in the vetus ordo.
|
Against Cardinal Müller has been strongly critical of the agreement and has expressed dismay at the Vatican’s consequent silence on China’s human rights abuses and the lack of Vatican support for Cardinal Zen during his trial in Hong Kong.
|
Against Cardinal Müller has been very critical of both the Synod on Synodality and the German Synodal Way.
|
Against Although Cardinal Müller has made no specific comments on climate change, he has criticized those who present the Catholic Church as “an aid organization for the 2030 Agenda” where “climate neutrality [is] the goal of planet earth.”
|
Against Cardinal Gerhard Müller has expressed strong opposition to any attempts to reassess or reinterpret the teachings of Humanae Vitae, describing such efforts as a “crime against the Church” and a betrayal of her mission.
|
Against Cardinal Müller has consistently opposed changing Church teaching to allow Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics, except in cases where they live in complete continence. He views such changes as contradicting divine law and established doctrine.
|
Against Cardinal Müller has firmly opposed the German Synodal Way, calling it a “suicide process” and comparing its decision-making processes to the 1933 Enabling Act that gave Hitler sweeping powers. He also called it “a self-appointed assembly, which is not authorized by God nor by the people it is supposed to represent.”
|
|
|
Against In an official letter dated October 23, 2023, addressed the German Bishops’ Conference regarding the German Synodal Way, Cardinal Parolin stated that the ordination of women to the priesthood is “non-negotiable” and not up for discussion with German bishops. While the letter does not explicitly address the diaconate for women, the overall tone suggests a conservative stance on changes to established Church roles.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Parolin cautiously welcomed Fiducia Supplicans while at the same time saying it required more study. He stressed that such a change must be “faithful” to the Church’s tradition and heritage, that there must be “progress in continuity.”
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Parolin has said that celibacy could theoretically be discussed although he notes the advantages to priests of remaining celibate.
|
In Favor Cardinal Parolin has made it clear in private that he is firmly opposed to the traditional liturgy. He reportedly played a “key role” in the creation of Traditionis Custodes, Pope Francis’ motu proprio restricting the vetus ordo and continues to push for restrictions.
|
In Favor Cardinal Parolin has been the key architect of the Vatican-China accords. He has insisted that patience is needed to see the fruits of what he predicts will be a long process and has said he is relying on the “good faith” of the Chinese Communist Party. Speaking to journalists at a conference in Rome in May 2024, Parolin said regarding both parties’ stance towards the deal, “We are all interested in the agreement being renewed” in October 2024. The secret agreement was renewed in October 2024 and extended it for four years instead of the usual two.
|
In Favor Cardinal Parolin has often expressed his wish for a more decentralized, synodal Church.
|
In Favor As Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin is an advocate of climate science and has frequently called for global efforts to combat climate change.
|
Ambiguous Although Cardinal Parolin has described the encyclical as “prophetic” in foreseeing ethical challenges to traditional family structures, he also took part in a book presentation held by those who would like to see the Church change Humanae Vitae’s teaching on contraception. Parolin’s implicit support for the book along with his lack of support for Fra’ Matthew Festing or Cardinal Raymond Burke and their strong positions against the distribution of large numbers of contraceptives by the Order of Malta in 2016 heighten the possibility that he would like to see the teaching revisited.
|
In Favor Cardinal Parolin has expressed support for wider access to the Sacraments, specifically for civilly remarried divorcees, seeing it as part of a new paradigm for the Church of “accompanying and listening.” He was also instrumental in formalizing throughout the Church an approach by Buenos Aires bishops to allow civilly remarried persons to receive the Sacraments in some cases.
|
Ambiguous Although Cardinal Parolin has firmly opposed certain heterodox positions of the German “Synodal Way” and the creation of a permanent council, he has not condemned the process in itself.
|
|
|
Against Cardinal Pizzaballa has not commented on the issue of admitting women to the diaconate. However, he has said the “constant and clear reference” for the Church’s stance on an all-male priesthood is “faith, history and Tradition.” In this context, he has also stressed the importance of not harming relations with the Orthodox.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Against Cardinal Pizzaballa has made no statement regarding Traditionis Custodes, but associates say he “has no problem with the celebration of the traditional Mass” and that the issue is “rather moot” as the cardinal is immersed in “the great diversity of rites within the Catholic Church (Latin, Byzantine, Maronite, Syrian, Armenian).”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Pizzaballa implemented the synodal process in the Patriarchate, inviting everyone to be involved. At the time, he understood it to be only “consultative” and said in 2023 that the nature of the Synod “has changed a lot” with the Synod on Synodality.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Pizzaballa was supportive of Laudato Si’ and he appears sympathetic to the cause of protecting “our common home,” but the topic of climate change is not recurrent in his teaching.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Against Cardinal Pizzaballa has not spoken publicly about the German “Synodal Way,” but he is opposed to some of its key elements.
|
|
|
Against During the Synod on Synodality in October 2023, Prevost stated that “clericalizing women”—that is, ordaining them to clerical roles—would not solve the Church’s problems and might even create new ones.
|
Ambiguous Although he expressed reservations about “sympathy for beliefs and practices that contradict the gospel,” Cardinal Prevost showed less clarity about Fiducia supplicans, stressing the need for national bishops’ conferences to have doctrinal authority to interpret and apply such directives in their local contexts, given cultural differences. He therefore did not fully endorse nor reject the document.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
In Favor Prevost is a strong supporter of synodality. He has been described as a “vocal proponent” of Pope Francis’ emphasis on making the Church’s structures more inclusive and participatory, seeing synodality as a way to address polarization within the Church. He connects synodality with the need for consultation and lay involvement.
|
In Favor Prevost is outspoken about the need for urgent action on climate change. He recently stressed that the Church must move “from words to action,” warning against the “harmful” consequences of unchecked technological development and advocating for a reciprocal, non-tyrannical relationship with the environment. He aligns closely with Pope Francis’ environmental priorities.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
|
|
Against Although Cardinal Ranjith has not made any public statements on the issue, he is generally considered a conservative figure within the Catholic Church, closely aligned with the teaching of Pope Benedict XVI, and so is likely to be against female deacons or a female diaconate.
|
Against Although Cardinal Ranjith has not addressed same-sex blessings directly, he is likely to be opposed to same-sex blessings given his stance in general on the Church’s moral teaching. He has described homosexuality as a defect.
|
Against Although Cardinal Ranjith has not specifically voiced opposition, he understands priestly celibacy, as well as poverty and obedience, as a way of loving the community “in the total and exclusive manner in which Jesus Christ her head and spouse loved.” He is therefore unlikely to want to make priestly celibacy optional.
|
Against Although Cardinal Ranjith has not spoken about Traditionis Custodes, he values the traditional Mass, served to protect and promote it as a senior official at the Vatican’s office on the liturgy, and generally favors a reverent liturgy. He also has reservations about concelebration, and communion in the hand and standing up.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Ranjith has expressed strong reservations about the German Synodal Way; he has not spoken publicly about the Synod on Synodality.
|
In Favor Cardinal Ranjith’s statements and actions show a consistent concern for environmental issues and climate change. He has called for better environmental policies, protection of natural resources, and a transition to cleaner energy sources.
|
Against Although Cardinal Ranjith has not made any public statements on the issue, he is generally considered a conservative figure within the Catholic Church, closely aligned with the teaching of Pope Benedict XVI, and so is unlikely to be in favor of reassesssing Humanae Vitae.
|
Against Cardinal Ranjith believes the dubia cardinals had a point in seeking clarification on this point with the Holy Father, but would have preferred if it had been done in a less confrontational manner.
|
Against Cardinal Ranjith has said he “cannot accept” the German Synodal Way and sees the Church as a “universal fraternity” whereby one country cannot “answer for our problems in the whole world.”
|
|
|
Against In the book he co-authored with the Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, From the Depth of Our Hearts, Cardinal Sarah made clear that the female diaconate has been ruled out by the Catholic Church. The “possibility of women being ordained as priests or deacons,” Sarah stated, “was settled definitively by Saint John Paul II in the Apostolic Letter Ordinatio sacerdotalis dated May 22, 1994.”
|
Against Following the publication of the highly controversial 2023 Vatican declaration Fiducia Supplicans that permitted the non-liturgical blessing of “irregular couples,” including homosexual couples, Cardinal Sarah called the promotion of such blessings a “heresy.”
|
Against Cardinal Sarah strongly opposes the relaxation of the discipline of priestly celibacy, calling such a move a definitive “break with the Apostolic Tradition” that would have “serious consequences.”
|
Against Cardinal Sarah continued to celebrate the Traditional Roman Rite after the publication of Traditionis custodes and its wide-ranging restrictions and accused the motu proprio of possibly posing “a threat to the Church’s unity.” He added that the “unfettered celebration” of the Traditional Latin Mass “has manifestly brought forth good fruits.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Against Cardinal Sarah was one of the five cardinals who on August 21, 2023, sent a set of five questions or “Dubia” to Pope Francis to express their concerns and seek clarification on points of doctrine and discipline ahead of the opening of the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican in October 2023. He has been critical of the indiscriminate inclusion of all in the synodal dialogue in the name of the sensus fidelium: “Just because someone identifies as Catholic does not mean they are part of the sensus fidelium. To be Catholic is more than a cultural identification; it is a profession of faith.”
|
Against Cardinal Sarah, quoting Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’, has preached on the need for Catholics to be stewards of the environment, saying that the financial interests of multinational companies are among the greatest threats to God’s creation. “A policy of unlimited productivity inevitably leads to human, cultural, or ecological catastrophes,” he said. But he has warned against making “ecology,” or other human concerns, the focus of the Church’s commitment. Some urge the Church “not to speak about God, but to throw itself body and soul into social problems: migration, ecology, dialogue, the culture of encounter, the struggle against poverty, for justice and peace. These are of course important and vital questions before which the Church cannot shut her eyes. But a Church such as this is of interest to no one. The Church is only of interest because she allows us to encounter Jesus. She is only legitimate because she passes on Revelation to us.”
|
Against Cardinal Robert Sarah has consistently defended the teachings of Humanae Vitae which he views as prophetic and has given no indication he wants it reassessed. Rather he has praised Pope Paul VI for his courage in issuing the encyclical despite strong opposition. He has linked acceptance of artificial contraception to a moral crisis in the Western world that has also undermined the Church’s teachings on human sexuality and marriage.
|
Against Cardinal Sarah holds to the traditional teaching on the issue and that taught in Pope John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation, Familiaris Consortio. He thought discussion of the question, “like disrespectful intellectuals, giving the impression of disputing the teaching of Jesus Christ and the Church,” should stop (Sarah and Diat, God or Nothing, 249).
|
Against Cardinal Sarah has said: “If we look at what’s happening on the German synodal way, I don’t know where it’s going to lead. Towards a total reinvention of the Church? We’re going to take what everyone says and build a consensus. But the truth of the Church precedes us. It cannot be fabricated by us.”
|
|
|
Unknown Cardinal Sturla has shown gestures of recognition for women working in the Church, and has spoken out strongly against violence against women, but he has made no specific statements
about women deacons or women priests.
|
Against Cardinal Sturla has consistently opposed the blessing of same-sex couples and although he has sympathy for Pope Francis’ position from the point of view of compassion, he rejected Fiducia Supplicans saying it was ambiguous, divisive, created confusion, and contradicted the Vatican’s previous 2021 statement on the issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Against Cardinal Sturla is skeptical of the model of synodality having seen it at work in Latin America. “It did not have a special resonance,” he said, failed to be “representative of most participants, and had “many shortcomings,” He was similarly critical of the Synod on Synodality, saying it was too inward looking and would fail because of that. The Church must evangelize by focusing on proclaiming Jesus Christ as Savior, he said, otherwise she will merely be “like a giant NGO that seeks a better world with others.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Against Cardinal Sturla has said he is aware of the challenges of making the Church’s teaching understood by everyone, but he is also convinced she must not compromise on her teaching by “denying her own identity.” The Church, he says, “cannot seek to be sympathetic by leaving aside the Gospel message” because to do that “would be a betrayal.”
|
Against Although Cardinal Sturla initially considered the “merciful” openness promoted by Francis on this issue to be an advance, he later became firmer in his opposition to it, saying a divorced person who has a second union cannot receive Communion, because if his marriage is first valid, that is the norm of the Church.”
|
Against Although Cardinal Sturla has not specifically addressed this issue, his opposition to the synodal model in general means it can safely be assumed he is against the Synodal Way of the German Church.
|
|
|
Against Cardinal Tagle has not made a public statement about ordaining women to the diaconate. He served on a Vatican committee which determined that “a ministry of deaconesses did indeed exist,” but this ministry “was not perceived as simply the feminine equivalent of the masculine diaconate.”
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Tagle has not yet made a public statement on Fiducia Supplicans. The pro-“LGBTQ” group New Ways Ministry has said Tagle has a “generally pro-LGBTQ record,” having previously spoken out against “harsh words” against “LGBTQ” Catholics. This factor, together with Cardinal Tagle’s generally progressive, pro-Francis stances, makes it very possible he supports the blessing of same-sex couples but his precise position is unclear.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Tagle has spoken of the need for open-minded discussions about clerical celibacy. “Some make it the culprit for all types of sexual misconduct. Others defend it but in a narrowly legalistic way that proves ineffectual,” he said. “We need a serene but comprehensive consideration of the matter.”
|
Ambiguous While Cardinal Tagle seems not to have made a specific statement in favor of restricting the Traditional Latin Mass, he has spoken more generally about Catholics needing to let go of the desire to “witness to Christ in some idealized past that they long for with nostalgia.” As a progressive cardinal loyal to Francis’ magisterium and a member of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments since June 1, 2022, it is probable that he supports this pontificate’s restriction of the Vetus Ordo.
|
In Favor Cardinal Tagle defends the agreement with China on the appointment of bishops, saying its purpose is “to safeguard the valid apostolic succession and the sacramental nature of the Catholic Church in China,” and “this can reassure, comfort, and enliven baptized Catholics in China.” Responding to critics of the accords, Cardinal Tagle says that having some negative reactions toward the agreement is “part of the process” and “one always has to dirty one’s hands with the reality of things as they are.”
|
In Favor In remarks to a U.S. priests’ association, Cardinal Tagle said, “My vision for a synodal church is a church that rediscovers this wonderful gift of the Spirit given to the whole church in Vatican II.” He said of efforts to undermine the synodal process: “It really, in a way, pains me and shocks me. I don’t want to judge people. But sometimes I just wish people would calmly, calmly read the documents of Vatican II…”
|
In Favor A strong supporter of Pope Francis’s environmental encyclical Laudato Si, Cardinal Tagle has stressed the importance of listening to “the cry of the Earth” and fighting “misguided anthropocentrism.”
|
In Favor Cardinal Tagle’s approach to the encyclical aligns with a broader trend within parts of the Church’s current leadership to re-read and contextualize Humanae Vitae in light of contemporary issues and to give it a more “pastoral” emphasis.
|
Ambiguous Instead of offering a clear “yes” or “no” answer, Cardinal Tagle holds that “every situation for those who are divorced and remarried is quite unique.” A general rule, he added, “might be counterproductive in the end.” My position at the moment is to ask, ‘Can we take every case seriously, and is there, in the tradition of the Church, paths towards addressing each case individually?’ This is one issue that I hope people will appreciate is not easy to say ‘no’ or to say ‘yes’ to. We cannot give one formula for all.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
|
|
Ambiguous Although Cardinal Tolentino has said he aligns with official stance of the Church, his alliances with those in favor of ordination of women as deacons suggest he is not wholly against the possibility.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Tolentino supports ongoing discussion of priestly celibacy.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
In Favor Cardinal Tolentino sees synodality as something that will “mark the Church of the future” and vital for her future engagement with the world.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
In Favor Cardinal Tolentino has celebrated the Amoris Laetitia‘s approach and its pastoral discernment in addressing the complexities of people’s lives.
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
|
|
Against “Today I would say no, the Pope said it, he also repeated it at the Synod,” Cardinal Zuppi said in November 2023 about women priests and deacons.
|
In Favor Cardinal Zuppi firmly defended Pope Francis’ line on Fiducia Supplicans, saying the document shows “the loving gaze of the Church for all of God’s children without undermining the teachings of the Magisterium.” Eighteen months earlier, Zuppi allowed a church blessing of a homosexual couple in his archdiocese.
|
In Favor Cardinal Zuppi does not exclude the possibility of making priestly celibacy optional, saying it’s a topic “being discussed.” He has recalled that in the Catholic Church there are already married priests. “If you go to Ukraine or Romania, the priests of the Byzantine rite communities, but linked to Rome, are already there,” he said. “So it is a discipline that can be changed.”
|
Ambiguous Cardinal Zuppi has shown sympathy for the Old Mass and has celebrated it on occasion. But asked if he thought Traditionis Custodes was a problem, the he said: “No, I think it was a directive that the Pope thought was useful, and it is to be applied with great awareness and with great responsibility.” |
In Favor Cardinal Zuppi’s diplomatic efforts with Beijing are aimed not only at fostering peace but also continuing the Vatican’s secret agreement with China.
|
In Favor Cardinal Zuppi sees synodality as a fundamental process for renewing the Church, making it more open, inclusive and capable of responding to contemporary challenges while always maintaining fidelity to the evangelical message.
|
In Favor Cardinal Zuppi has expressed support for Pope Paul VI’s Encyclical Humanae Vitae but has not explicitly endorsed its teaching against the use of contraception. In 2023, Zuppi indicated he supported a renewal of perspectives regarding the Church’s teaching on contraception, and encouraged theologians to “go further” with “creative fidelity.”
|
In Favor As president of the Bishops’ Conference of Emilia-Romagna, Cardinal Zuppi played a key role in developing pastoral guidelines for chapter 8 of Amoris Laetitia. Issued in 2018, the guidelines appear to depart from traditional Church teaching on admission of the divorced and “remarried” to Holy Communion. Contrary to John Paul II’s 1981 apostolic exhortation on the Christian family in the modern world, Familiaris Consortio, n. 84, the document argues that chastity is not the only possible option for “remarried” divorcees, “since the new union and therefore also the good of the children could be put at risk in the absence of conjugal acts.”
|
Unknown We could not find any evidence of the cardinal addressing this issue.
|
- Key:
- In Favor
- Against
- Ambiguous
- Unknown
Photo: Alamy/Abaca Press
