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Cardinal Mueller
Photo: Oliver Weiken / dpa
As a Christian, Russian President Vladimir Putin bears particular guilt for the war crimes he is responsible for in Ukraine, according to Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller.
"Hitler and Stalin had no conscience, but Putin crosses himself in the Christ the Redeemer Church," said the former prefect of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the German Press Agency in Rome.
"By doing so, he sins against Christianity."
There was no justification for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, emphasized Müller.
»Putin is responsible for the most terrible crimes, crimes against innocent men, women and children.
Unfortunately, there are still people here who defend it.« It is deeply depressing that a single person could start such a war with thousands of victims.
"Putin has a power play instinct with the emotional world of a sex offender," said Müller.
"He enjoys keeping the whole world in suspense, getting his armies moving, turning the gas on and off."
Putin maintains a close relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church, which in return supports his policies.
Müller said that Putin's faith may be just a facade that he is maintaining for reasons of power politics.
"In any case, he will have to answer to God for his actions."
Müller (74) was Bishop of Regensburg from 2002 to 2012, then he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI.
appointed prefect of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which oversees Catholic teaching.
When his first term expired in 2017, Pope Francis did not extend it.
Müller has been a judge at the Supreme Church Court in the Vatican since 2021.
Müller criticizes dealing with Woelki - and the reform movement within the church
In the conversation with the dpa he also criticized the handling of Pope Francis with the Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki.
"I don't see the slightest reason why Cardinal Woelki should resign," said Müller.
There was absolutely nothing against Woelki, he was just the victim of defamation campaigns, said Müller.
The staunchly conservative clergyman also declared that German Catholics were deluding themselves with their reform process.
The innovations aimed at as part of the synodal path had no chance of being implemented, he said.
»The reason for this is not that we here in Rome want to remain dictatorial in our convictions or exercise power.
The reason is that the Church was instituted and designed by Jesus Christ.
We have no authority to change this order."
dop/dpa