New Pope must stand up to the ‘gay lobby’, leading cardinal says

A leading conservative cardinal has issued a warning against ‘ideological lobbies’, including the so-called ‘gay lobby’, ahead of the vote to choose a new Pope.

German cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, a critic of the late Pope Francis, urged the Church to return to its traditional roots and demanded the next pontiff be ‘strong on doctrine’ and ready to resist mounting liberal pressures.

Speaking to Italy’s La Stampa newspaper, Cardinal Müller insisted the new Pope must have ‘solid theological and doctrinal formation’ and stand firm against what he described as the creeping threat of ‘heresy’ and ‘gender ideology’.

‘Doctrine is not the property of the Pope, the bishops, or the faithful,’ he declared. ‘It must conform to the word of Jesus. No one can modify it. If Jesus says marriage is between a man and a woman, no one can change that doctrine.’

The outspoken cardinal also blasted calls to equate marriage with same-s£x unions, saying it ‘totally contradicts the doctrine of the Bible’.

His warning came as cardinals from around the world gathered behind closed doors in Rome to set the date for the all-important conclave, which will now begin on May 7.

It comes just days after the funeral of Pope Francis, who died last week aged 88 after suffering a stroke and heart failure.

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