The President of a Bishops' Conference is no Vice Pope.
Vatican (Catholic news / CF / kathweb.at). The prefect of the Vatican congregation, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, has turned strongly against decentralizing the Church on the level of the national bishop conferences. "The Catholic Church is made up of local churches, but it is one," said the Prefect for the Italian daily newspaper "Corriere della sera": "There are no 'national' churches." - The Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences are "coordinators, not vice-popes" stressed the Vatican defender of the Faith. While the papacy and the office of bishop have "divine right", the Patriarchs and Bishops' Conferences to facilities work according to "human rights". Of course, these conferences also have doctrinal authority in certain areas, for instance when preparing local catechisms, liturgical books or the management of universities and Catholic schools: "The Pope can not know everything that happens in the individual countries," said Archbishop Müller. One must "find a practical balance." Pope Francis had recently announced in his letter "Evangelii Gaudium" considering more powers for national Bishops' Conferences. '
Link to Kath.news
Vatican (Catholic news / CF / kathweb.at). The prefect of the Vatican congregation, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller, has turned strongly against decentralizing the Church on the level of the national bishop conferences. "The Catholic Church is made up of local churches, but it is one," said the Prefect for the Italian daily newspaper "Corriere della sera": "There are no 'national' churches." - The Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences are "coordinators, not vice-popes" stressed the Vatican defender of the Faith. While the papacy and the office of bishop have "divine right", the Patriarchs and Bishops' Conferences to facilities work according to "human rights". Of course, these conferences also have doctrinal authority in certain areas, for instance when preparing local catechisms, liturgical books or the management of universities and Catholic schools: "The Pope can not know everything that happens in the individual countries," said Archbishop Müller. One must "find a practical balance." Pope Francis had recently announced in his letter "Evangelii Gaudium" considering more powers for national Bishops' Conferences. '
Link to Kath.news
