Church 'will not negotiate' with Vatican rebels

The Vatican has no plans to hold more talks with rebel Catholic traditionalists who insist the church must revoke the modernising reforms it adopted five decades ago, Pope Benedict's main doctrinal official has told a German interviewer.

Archbishop Gerhard Müller, who took up his post as head of the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in July, said the church could not negotiate away the fundamentals of its faith.

His comments to North German Radio (NDR) were the first from the Vatican on deadlocked talks meant to reintegrate the Society of Saint Pius X into the church after a 21-year schism over its implacable opposition to the 1960s reforms that followed the Second Vatican Council, known as Vatican II.

"We cannot give away the Catholic faith in negotiations," the Most Rev Müller said. "There will be no compromises here. I think there now will be no new discussions."

Reuters