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Gerhard Ludwig Müller (archive): Has long been considered a conservative hardliner
Photo: ZUMA Wire / IMAGO
The German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller spoke in an interview that the corona pandemic was being used to “bring people into line” and subject them to “total control”.
Such formulations are typical of conspiracy narratives.
The former Regensburg bishop spoke in an interview that behind measures against the pandemic there was a financially strong elite.
According to Müller, »people who sit on the throne of their wealth« see »an opportunity now to push through their agenda«.
The Catholic-conservative »St.
Bonifatius Institut «from Austria had tweeted a 2:19 minute video of the conversation last week.
Müller confirmed the authenticity of the interview to the dpa news agency by email.
The Vatican initially did not respond to the dpa request.
The German Bishops' Conference did not comment on the statements and referred to their call to be vaccinated.
The political scientist and expert on conspiracy myths Jan Rathje told the dpa about Müller's claims: "Most of the statements can be interpreted in terms of conspiracy ideology." The cardinal and judge at the Vatican's highest court also explicitly mentioned the American-Jewish investor George Soros.
This could "be seen as an anti-Semitic cipher," said Rathje.
Müller said he did not "actually want to be created and redeemed" by people like former Microsoft boss Bill Gates or Klaus Schwab, head of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The two, like Soros, often appear in conspiracy ideologies.
Müller is considered a conservative hardliner.
For five years he was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the authority to protect the doctrine of faith and morals of the entire Catholic Church.
In 2017 Pope Francis separated from him.
Signed the manifest against the corona restrictions
Müller wrote to the dpa in the email that he was rejecting the logic that “if someone criticizes the financial elite, he is automatically on the wrong side”.
He spoke again of "illegitimate influence by the super-rich elites in various countries."
The cardinal had already signed an archbishop's manifesto against the corona restrictions at the beginning of 2020, in which narratives from conspiracy myths appear.
The talk was of the "prelude to the creation of a world government beyond control."
Müller then said that the text was deliberately misunderstood.
His criticism of the synodal path of the Catholic Church in Germany, the decision-making of which the cardinal had compared to the National Socialists' enabling law, had caused outrage.
bbr / dpa