Vatican Excommunicates Archbishop Critical of Pope Francis

Facts

• The Vatican on Friday excommunicated Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a vocal critic of Pope Francis, after finding him guilty of 'the reserved delict [violation of the law] of schism.'¹
• Last month, the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's disciplinary body, assigned Viganò to a penal canon trial for the 'crime of schism' and 'denial of the legitimacy of Pope Francis.'²
• The doctrinal office cited Viganò's refusal to recognize and submit to the pontiff and his rejection of liberal reforms made by the Roman Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council.³
• Viganò's excommunication means he is banished from the church and prohibited from partaking in its sacraments.⁴
• The 83-year-old Italian prelate regarded the accusations against him as 'an honor' and said he would observe a Mass for his supporters.⁵
• Francis' predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, appointed Viganò as papal envoy to Washington from 2011 to 2016. In 2018, he called on Francis to resign over sexual abuse allegations in the church.⁶

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²Washington Post, ³NBC, ⁴Guardian, ⁵ABC News and ⁶Forbes.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Fondazione EXSURGE DOMINE Ets. Viganò was a senior figure in the Church. Instead of investigating his accusation that the Pope covered up the sexual abuse scandals of his protégés, the Vatican punished and censured an outspoken archbishop. Viganò's only crime was that he tried to draw attention to corruption in the Holy See, called out Francis' papacy for imposing on the faithful the acceptance of homosexualism, and exposed a false prophet.
• Narrative B, as provided by Crux. Viganò wasn't excommunicated for criticizing the pontiff but for demonizing the Church. Blindsided by the archbishop, he mocked Francis' message of inclusivity, termed the Pope a criminal for promoting vaccines, and refused to recognize the pontiff or the Vatican officials under him. Francis has largely tolerated dissent for years, but it was time to hold Viganò accountable for undermining the Catholic faith.

Predictions