Papal arch enemy Archbishop Vigano found guilty of schism and excommunicated

VATICAN CITY — Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a fierce ultra-conservative critic of Pope Francis, has been discovered responsible of schism and excommunicated, the Vatican’s doctrinal workplace stated on Friday.

Vigano, the papal envoy in Washington from 2011-2016, went into hiding in 2018 after alleging that the pope knew for years about sexual misconduct by U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and did nothing about it.

He had stated the pope ought to resign and subsequently branded him a “false prophet” and a “servant of Devil.”

The Vatican rejected Vigano’s accusations of a cover-up of sexual misconduct and final month summoned him to reply prices of schism and denying the pope’s legitimacy.

In a press release on Friday, the doctrinal workplace stated his public feedback made it clear that he refused “to acknowledge and submit” to Pope Francis. He had additionally rejected the legitimacy of liberal reforms made by the Roman Catholic Church within the Second Vatican Council within the Nineteen Sixties, it stated.

“On the conclusion of the penal course of, the Most Reverend Carlo Maria Vigano was discovered responsible of the reserved delict (violation of the legislation) of schism,” the assertion stated, including that he had been excommunicated, or banished, from the Church.

In a message on X, the 83-year-old Vigano remained unrepentant, publishing the complete textual content of the choice in opposition to him, which warned that he could possibly be expelled from the Roman Catholic priesthood if he endured in his stance.

He urged Catholic trustworthy to voice their assist for him, quoting Jesus within the New Testomony: “In the event that they maintain quiet, the stones themselves will begin shouting.”

The Vatican ruling was signed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernandez, head of the Doctrine of the Religion workplace, and by its secretary, Father John Joseph Kennedy. As is regular in such issues, it was not signed by the pope, however it’s extremely unlikely that the punishment was meted out with out his approval.

Attacking the pope

Vigano, who largely communicates through the X social community, stated final month that he had refused to participate within the disciplinary proceedings as a result of he didn’t settle for the legitimacy of the establishments behind it.

“I don’t acknowledge the authority of the tribunal that claims to evaluate me, nor of its Prefect, nor of the one who appointed him,” he stated, referring Fernandez and to Francis.

In a prolonged textual content, Vigano referred to the pope solely by his surname, “Bergoglio”, and accused him of representing an “inclusive, immigrationist, eco-sustainable, and gay-friendly” Church that had strayed from its true message.

Francis has angered many conservatives by making overtures in direction of divorcees and the LGBT group, and by saying that mercy and forgiveness ought to come earlier than the strict enforcement of Catholic doctrine.

The pope has additionally put himself at odds with conservatives and traditionalists by championing migrant rights and the battle in opposition to local weather change, and condemning the excesses of capitalism.

Final yr, Francis took motion in opposition to one other arch-conservative critic from the U.S., dismissing Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of Tyler, Texas, after he refused to step down voluntarily following a Vatican investigation.