RCC hierarch: Our Shepherd is Jesus Christ rather than Premier
The Roman Catholic Cardinal has criticized the decision of the RCC bishops to discontinue public masses because of the coronavirus.
Cardinal Gerhard Muller, a former prefect of the RCC’s congregation on faith, said the Church is not an agency that is subordinate to the state, Her Supreme Shepherd being Jesus Christ rather than the prime minister, LaNuovaBq.it reports.
In his opinion, “the suspension of mass with the participation of worshipers is a departure from Her task, it is a reduction of the Church to being dependent on the state. This is unacceptable".
He is convinced that “secular mentality has affected the Church,” because “it is one thing to take precautions to minimize the risk of infection, but the other is to prohibit the Divine Liturgy.”
“The Church is not a government agency, and no bishop has the right to prohibit the Eucharist,” Muller said and recalled that “we also know how priests were punished by their own bishops for celebrating Mass with several people.”
According to the cardinal, this meant that “the bishops assumed the status of government officials. But our Supreme Shepherd is Jesus Christ, not Giuseppe Conti (Italian Prime Minister – Ed.). The state has its own task, while the Church has its own,” he concluded.
Earlier, the UOJ wrote that the Italian authorities obliged priests to administer communion to the laity in gloves and masks.
