The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith announced on Friday the excommunication of Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, found guilty of “schism” for his continued attacks on Pope Francis and for not recognizing his authority.
“His public statements are well known, from which it results the refusal to recognize and submit to the Supreme Pontiff, to communion with the members of the Church and to the legitimacy of the magisterial authority of the Second Vatican Council,” the Congregation said in a statement, declaring the “monsignor” guilty of the crime of schism.
The ruling means the archbishop cannot receive the sacraments of the Catholic Church, such as communion. The Vatican explained that Viganò was excommunicated following an “extrajudicial penal process,” although the archbishop has said he does not recognize the legitimacy of the process.
Ultraconservative
Viganò, 83, is a representative of the most conservative sector of the Catholic Church, appointed archbishop in 1992 by John Paul II and then, among other positions, apostolic nuncio (ambassador) to Nigeria until 1998 and to the United States from 2011 to 2016.
For some, the archbishop had been seen as an effective diplomat and official in past years. “I don’t know what has happened,” Cardinal Peter Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, said recently regarding the now excommunicated archbishop.
In recent years, the archbishop has not hidden his confrontation with Pope Francis and in 2018 he even requested his resignation following openly accusing him of knowing regarding the sexual abuse of American Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, whom the Pope would later expel from the priesthood for his conduct. A Vatican investigation questioned Viganò’s account and exonerated Francis.
A Pope gay friendly
He has also called Francis a “heretic”, a “tyrant” and a “servant of Satan”, questioning his election in the 2013 conclave and openly attacking him following the publication of the document ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ which allows the blessing of homosexual couples.
He has accused the Pope of supporting “climate fraud”, criticised his support for Covid-19 vaccines and his promotion of an “inclusive, immigrationist, eco-sustainable and gay-friendly” Church.
For all this, the Holy See has accused him of “schism” due to his “public statements which result in a denial of the elements necessary to maintain communion with the Catholic Church.”
On June 28, Viganò explained on the social network X that he had been notified of the opening of this canonical trial once morest him by “a simple email.” “I assume that the sentence is already prepared since it is an extrajudicial process. I consider the accusations once morest me an honor. I believe that the very tenor of the accusations confirms the theses that I have been defending,” he said.
He described the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which revolutionized and modernized the Church, as “an ideological, theological, moral and liturgical cancer” and called the “Bergoglian Church,” alluding to the Pope’s surname, Bergoglio, a “metastasis”.
“I repudiate, reject and condemn the scandals, errors and heresies of Jorge Mario Bergoglio [el papa Francisco],” who has an absolutely tyrannical management of power,” the religious man said last month. “I accuse Bergoglio of heresy and schism and I ask that he be removed from the throne that he unworthily occupies.”
Undefended
The archbishop had been summoned by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on June 28 to respond to the accusation of “schism,” but he refused to appear.
The Doctrine of Faith, led by Argentine Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, met on July 4 to deliberate the canonical penal process once morest him, despite his absence, and finally found him “guilty” of the crime of “schism”, promulgating his excommunication.
The case of Viganò has often been compared to one of the few other precedents at that level, that of French Archbishop Marcel Francois Lefebvre, Founder of the Society of St. Pius X, critical of the Second Vatican Council and excommunicated in 1988 by John Paul II for schismatic acts.
This exceptional measure of excommunicating an archbishop might have a strong impact in ultra-conservative circles, especially in the United States, where opposition to the Argentine pope’s pontificate is strong.
Viganò was at the center of the controversy for organizing a meeting between the Pope and Kim Davis, the Kentucky official who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples during the pope’s visit to the United States in 2015. The Vatican later said the meeting “should not be considered a form of support for his position.”
Vatican Excommunicates Archbishop Viganò for “Schism”
The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has excommunicated Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, finding him guilty of “schism” for his consistent attacks on Pope Francis and his refusal to acknowledge the Pope’s authority.
“His public pronouncements are well known, from which results the refusal to recognize and submit to the Supreme Pontiff, to communion with the members of the Church and to the legitimacy of the magisterial authority of the Second Vatican Council,” the Congregation stated, declaring the “monsignor” guilty of the crime of schism. This ruling prevents the archbishop from receiving sacraments like communion within the Catholic Church.
The Archbishop’s History and Controversies
Viganò, 83, is known for his ultraconservative views within the Catholic Church. Appointed archbishop in 1992 by Pope John Paul II, he served as apostolic nuncio (ambassador) to Nigeria until 1998 and to the United States from 2011 to 2016. Despite a reputation as an effective diplomat in the past, Viganò has openly clashed with Pope Francis in recent years.
In 2018, Viganò demanded Pope Francis’ resignation following accusing him of knowing regarding sexual abuse allegations once morest American Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, whom the Pope would later remove from the priesthood. A Vatican investigation later refuted Viganò’s claims and exonerated Pope Francis.
Viganò’s criticisms of Pope Francis go beyond this incident. He has publicly labeled Francis a “heretic”, a “tyrant”, and a “servant of Satan”, questioning the validity of his 2013 election. He has also attacked the Pope’s inclusiveness, particularly following the publication of the document ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ which allows for the blessing of homosexual couples.
Accusations of “Schism” and the Canonical Trial
The Vatican’s accusation of “schism” once morest Viganò directly stems from his public statements denouncing the Church’s leadership. The Holy See argues that these pronouncements “result in a denial of the elements necessary to maintain communion with the Catholic Church”.
On June 28, 2023, Viganò was notified of the canonical trial once morest him via email. He has refused to participate in the trial, claiming it is “extrajudicial” and that he considers the accusations once morest him an “honor”.
Viganò’s Stance and the Second Vatican Council
Viganò has openly criticized the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which sought to modernize the Church, calling it “an ideological, theological, moral and liturgical cancer”. He has also referred to the Church under Pope Francis as “the Bergoglian Church”, a “metastasis” of the Council’s supposed “illness”.
Comparisons to Archbishop Lefebvre and Impact on Conservative Circles
The excommunication of Archbishop Viganò has been compared to the case of Archbishop Marcel Francois Lefebvre, founder of the Society of St. Pius X, who was excommunicated in 1988 by Pope John Paul II for his opposition to the Second Vatican Council.
This measure once morest Viganò may have a significant impact on ultraconservative Catholics, particularly in the United States where opposition to Pope Francis’ pontificate is strong. This is especially relevant considering Viganò’s role in organizing a meeting between Pope Francis and Kim Davis, a Kentucky official who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, during the Pope’s visit to the U.S. in 2015. The Vatican later clarified that this meeting did not imply support for Davis’ position.
