diff --git a/build/pkgs/cmr/checksums.ini b/build/pkgs/cmr/checksums.ini
index a18c1299e8e..6c4f1df1afb 100644
--- a/build/pkgs/cmr/checksums.ini
+++ b/build/pkgs/cmr/checksums.ini
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 tarball=cmr-0+VERSION.tar.gz
-sha1=6e55e008de787217fa5b021c693100b98365b311
-md5=51844915d4bcd1200a18a46e8ce764f2
-cksum=3720610576
+sha1=e38b305f32db415f75d6d76b30f9f40e5c116d8f
+md5=99db21d9919fd357a16b4a2efa2da0ed
+cksum=80832571
 upstream_url=https://github.com/discopt/cmr/archive/VERSION.tar.gz
diff --git a/build/pkgs/cmr/package-version.txt b/build/pkgs/cmr/package-version.txt
index 1e987aadd6f..86300fa4b75 100644
--- a/build/pkgs/cmr/package-version.txt
+++ b/build/pkgs/cmr/package-version.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-8b0dda14be73d9afc5eeda1461191b2b062072db
+33415103202d46b1bd1f4832f83494fbe583bc1b
diff --git a/src/sage/libs/cmr/cmr.pxd b/src/sage/libs/cmr/cmr.pxd
index 27e60938802..e5cb9ca1f9b 100644
--- a/src/sage/libs/cmr/cmr.pxd
+++ b/src/sage/libs/cmr/cmr.pxd
@@ -237,11 +237,9 @@ cdef extern from "cmr/matroid.h":
     int8_t CMRmatroiddecCographicness(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
     int8_t CMRmatroiddecRegularity(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
     size_t CMRmatroiddecNumRows(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
-    CMR_ELEMENT* CMRmatroiddecRowsRootElement(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
-    size_t* CMRmatroiddecRowsParent(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
+    CMR_ELEMENT* CMRmatroiddecRowsParent(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
     size_t CMRmatroiddecNumColumns(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
-    CMR_ELEMENT* CMRmatroiddecColumnsRootElement(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
-    size_t* CMRmatroiddecColumnsParent(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
+    CMR_ELEMENT* CMRmatroiddecColumnsParent(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
     CMR_GRAPH* CMRmatroiddecGraph(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
     CMR_GRAPH_EDGE* CMRmatroiddecGraphForest(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
     size_t CMRmatroiddecGraphSizeForest(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
@@ -257,7 +255,7 @@ cdef extern from "cmr/matroid.h":
     size_t CMRmatroiddecNumPivots(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
     size_t* CMRmatroiddecPivotRows(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
     size_t* CMRmatroiddecPivotColumns(CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec)
-    # CMR_ERROR CMRmatroiddecPrint(CMR* cmr, CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec, FILE* stream, size_t indent, bool printChildren, bool printParentRowsColumns, bool printMatrices, bool printGraphs, bool printReductions, bool printPivots)
+    # CMR_ERROR CMRmatroiddecPrint(CMR* cmr, CMR_MATROID_DEC* dec, FILE* stream, size_t indent, bool printChildren, bool printParentElements, bool printMatrices, bool printGraphs, bool printReductions, bool printPivots)
     CMR_ERROR CMRmatroiddecFree(CMR* cmr, CMR_MATROID_DEC** pdec)
     CMR_ERROR CMRmatroiddecFreeNode(CMR* cmr, CMR_MATROID_DEC** pdec)
 
diff --git a/src/sage/matrix/args.pxd b/src/sage/matrix/args.pxd
index 519f55e8455..fdf6d923e4d 100644
--- a/src/sage/matrix/args.pxd
+++ b/src/sage/matrix/args.pxd
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ cdef class MatrixArgs:
     cdef bint is_finalized
 
     cpdef Matrix matrix(self, bint convert=?) noexcept
+    cpdef Matrix element(self, bint immutable=?, bint convert=?) noexcept
     cpdef list list(self, bint convert=?) noexcept
     cpdef dict dict(self, bint convert=?) noexcept
 
diff --git a/src/sage/matrix/args.pyx b/src/sage/matrix/args.pyx
index 1ccc69ced80..a7065295b1b 100644
--- a/src/sage/matrix/args.pyx
+++ b/src/sage/matrix/args.pyx
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@ cdef class MatrixArgs:
         self.typ = MA_ENTRIES_MATRIX
         return M
 
-    cpdef element(self, bint convert=True, bint immutable=False) noexcept:
+    cpdef Matrix element(self, bint immutable=False, bint convert=True) noexcept:
         r"""
         Return the element.
         """
diff --git a/src/sage/matrix/matrix_cmr_sparse.pyx b/src/sage/matrix/matrix_cmr_sparse.pyx
index 4f707226d2f..7009ce21f4d 100644
--- a/src/sage/matrix/matrix_cmr_sparse.pyx
+++ b/src/sage/matrix/matrix_cmr_sparse.pyx
@@ -573,7 +573,11 @@ cdef class Matrix_cmr_chr_sparse(Matrix_cmr_sparse):
             first_marker = CMRrowToElement(row)
             second_marker = CMRcolumnToElement(column)
 
-        cdef int8_t characteristic = 0
+        cdef int8_t characteristic = first_mat.parent().characteristic()
+
+        if second_mat.parent().characteristic() != characteristic:
+            raise ValueError("The characteristic of two matrices are different")
+
         CMR_CALL(CMRtwoSum(cmr, first._mat, second._mat, first_marker, second_marker, characteristic, &sum_mat))
         sum = Matrix_cmr_chr_sparse._from_cmr(sum_mat, immutable=False)
         if row_subdivision or column_subdivision:
@@ -642,7 +646,11 @@ cdef class Matrix_cmr_chr_sparse(Matrix_cmr_sparse):
             second_marker1 = CMRcolumnToElement(column1)
             second_marker2 = CMRcolumnToElement(column2)
 
-        cdef int8_t characteristic = 0
+        cdef int8_t characteristic = first_mat.parent().characteristic()
+
+        if second_mat.parent().characteristic() != characteristic:
+            raise ValueError("The characteristic of two matrices are different")
+
         CMR_CALL(CMRthreeSum(cmr, first._mat, second._mat, first_marker1, second_marker1, first_marker2, second_marker2, characteristic, &sum_mat))
         sum = Matrix_cmr_chr_sparse._from_cmr(sum_mat)
         return sum
diff --git a/src/sage/matrix/seymour_decomposition.pyx b/src/sage/matrix/seymour_decomposition.pyx
index 283eebaf0db..18be6b34608 100644
--- a/src/sage/matrix/seymour_decomposition.pyx
+++ b/src/sage/matrix/seymour_decomposition.pyx
@@ -120,8 +120,8 @@ cdef class DecompositionNode(SageObject):
             sage: C[1].parent_rows_and_columns()
             ((3, 4, 5), (2, 3))
         """
-        cdef size_t *parent_rows = CMRmatroiddecRowsParent(self._dec)
-        cdef size_t *parent_columns = CMRmatroiddecColumnsParent(self._dec)
+        cdef CMR_ELEMENT *parent_rows = CMRmatroiddecRowsParent(self._dec)
+        cdef CMR_ELEMENT *parent_columns = CMRmatroiddecColumnsParent(self._dec)
         if parent_rows == NULL or parent_rows[0] == SIZE_MAX:
             parent_rows_tuple = None
         else: