UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter
July 27, 2020
By Michael Sean Winters
Next month will be the second anniversary of the infamous “testimony” of former nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, published first at the EWTN-owned National Catholic Register. It was obviously the work of a profoundly disturbed person, all the settling scores, spewing accusations hither and yon, demonstrating that he, and he alone, was virtuous. He even called upon Pope Francis to resign! The timing — at the end of Francis’ visit to Ireland — was designed to gain maximum exposure.
At a press conference on the plane back to Rome, Francis chose not to engage the charges Viganò had leveled. “I will not say a single word on this,” the pope said about Viganò’s screed. “I think this statement speaks for itself, and you have the sufficient journalistic capacity to draw conclusions.”
Very oddly, given the fact that Viganò had violated canon law by revealing information he acquired under the pontifical secret and because, well, it is truly brutta figura to ask the pope to resign, several U.S. bishops came out with statements in the subsequent days in which they attested to Viganò’s integrity, and not to that of Francis. There was schism in the air. I will let the readers draw their own conclusions from the fact that when I Googled “bishops who support Viganò” the first item is found at CatholicVote.org, the organization working to reelect President Donald Trump, who famously received a letter from Viganò. Oliver Stone: Call your office!
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