The journalist Diane Montagna recently published the second part of the interview granted by Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, emeritus prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who harshly criticized the World Meeting on Human Fraternity 2025 and the concert «Grace for the World» held in St. Peter’s Square, where a drone show projected the face of Pope Francis onto the Vatican dome.
An “improper” spectacle in St. Peter’s Basilica
Müller described the display as a gesture close to idolatry, comparing it to the “apotheosis” of Roman emperors or the images of Stalin and Lenin in Red Square. “St. Peter’s Basilica is a symbol of the Church of Jesus Christ. The Pope is called to be the humble Vicar of Christ, not an idol,” he stated, warning against any cult of personality.
Criticism of the secularized use of grace
The cardinal also expressed concern about the messages conveyed during the concert, in which artists like Pharrell Williams defined grace as an “inner light of the universe” present in every person. Müller emphasized that this definition contradicts the Catholic faith: “Grace is not a diffuse energy or a human force, but a supernatural gift that comes only from God the Father through Jesus Christ.”
For the cardinal, separating Christian concepts from their origin in the Trinity generates doctrinal confusion and promotes “confusion, Pelagianism, and a horizontal humanism” that ultimately dilutes the faith into empty sentimentalism. He also denounced the mixing of sacred chants like the Ave María or the Magníficat with secular music as transmitting an ambiguous message that does not lead to the worship of God, but to a worldly spectacle.
Fraternity without Christ and the danger of instrumentalizing the Church
The former prefect of the Holy Office warned that behind these initiatives there are financial and political supports that do not seek the good of the Church. “Some want to remodel the Church and use the authority of the Holy See to promote their Masonic, socialist, or capitalist agendas. That is not true fraternity,” he stated. For Müller, a fraternity that dispenses with God’s paternity is empty ideology, and at the slightest questioning, it becomes imposition and marginalization of those who dissent.
He also criticized the encyclical Fratelli Tutti for not placing Jesus Christ at the center as the only Redeemer of the world. “In the Christian vision, fraternity is not a superficial feeling of belonging, but a sacramental participation in Christ’s relationship with the Father in the Holy Spirit. Masonic or communist fraternity, on the other hand, seeks to control and dominate man, like a Big Brother who watches, which is incompatible with the glorious freedom of the children of God,” he emphasized.
The contrast with Pope Leo XIV
Although the meeting was organized before his election, Müller positively valued the speech of Pope Leo XIV, who—according to what he highlighted—followed the method of St. Thomas Aquinas by starting from natural theology to lead toward revelation in Christ. “The universal love that we proclaim is not humanistic sentimentalism, but the love that flows from the Triune God” and concluded by recalling the words of the Gospel of St. John:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments… and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, the Spirit of truth, who will be with you forever” (Jn 14:15-17).
You can review the first part of the interview here.