A handful of prominent church leaders meet in Rome tomorrow to talk about what they perceive as confusion within the Catholic Church. The conference is called the Catholic Church. Where are you heading? Cardinals Raymond Burke, Joseph Zen, and Walter Brandmüller will be addressing participants. The meeting is organized by a group calling themselves Friends of Cardinal Carlo Caffarra, who passed away last year. Earlier today, Lauren Ashburn spoke with Bishop Schneider, an auxiliary bishop in Kazakhstan. He is also taking part in the event.
Lauren Ashburn: Your Excellency, thank you for joining us. You have expressed concern that Pope Francis is not clear. What do you mean by that?
Bishop Schneider: There are statements, especially on the issue of Amoris Laetitia, which touch the essential realities of the life of the church, such as Holy marriage, the sacrament of marriage, which builds up the church in the domestic church, and then the central sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, and also the sacrament of penance. It is the task of the Pope to speak clearly. Therefore, not only I, but the Cardinals of the Dubia and other clergy and lay people, have raised our voices, asking with respect that our Holy Father give a clear statement on these issues.
Lauren Ashburn: What do you say to critics who claim that you are creating division in the church rather than promoting unity with the Pope?
Bishop Schneider: This statement is not correct, because when we ask for clarity to fulfill the will of God and to protect the essential realities of the church in an evident state of confusion, we cannot be accused of dividing. On the contrary, only with clarity will there be unity.
Lauren Ashburn: Bishop Schneider, what do you want the Pope to do specifically? Are you requesting an audience with him?
Bishop Schneider: No, specifically, as I stated in previous petitions, and as lay people have also asked, we request that the Holy Father issue an authentic, clear, unambiguous interpretation and statement on the issue of communion for the divorced and on the perennial validity of the commandments of God, which are divine and not laws of man and not merely juridical. The commandments are divine, so we have to put the will of God first, and then our own will. I have asked the Holy Father to issue a statement that clarifies this issue.
Lauren Ashburn: Bishop Schneider, an auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, thank you for joining us.
Bishop Schneider: You are welcome. God bless you.