In a headline that’s stirring debate across the global Catholic community, conservative German Cardinal Gerhard Müller has slammed the new film Conclave, warning fellow cardinals not to behave like the scheming clerics portrayed in it. Speaking to The Times of London, Müller insisted, “It’s not a power game played by stupid people looking to manipulate, like in this film, which has nothing to do with reality.”
But what’s making bigger waves—especially for LGBTQ audiences—is his renewed attack on what he calls the “homosexual lobbies.” In La Stampa, Müller declared, “The homosexual lobbies want to equate unions between people of the same sex to marriage, but this totally contradicts the doctrine of the Bible.”
He’s not clear whether he means lobbyists inside the Vatican or beyond, but this rhetoric comes just days before the college of cardinals convenes to choose a new pope, nearly 80% of whom were appointed by the late Pope Francis, known for a more inclusive tone. And now a Vatican bombshell: Belgian canon law scholar Rik Torfs told The Times that probably the majority of the cardinals voting for the next pope are gay, despite Church teachings labeling homosexual acts as sinful.
Müller has long clashed with Pope Francis, especially after the Pope allowed blessings for same-sex couples last year. Müller called it “an obvious heresy.” As the conclave nears, LGBTQ Catholics and allies around the world are watching closely—because what happens in the Sistine Chapel won’t just shape doctrine, it may define the Church’s future stance on love, identity, and belonging.
