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Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, once the papal ambassador to the United States and now an outspoken critic of Pope Francis, has been excommunicated by the Vatican for schism. The Vatican announced that Viganò had refused to acknowledge and submit to the authority of Pope Francis and had rejected communion with the Catholic Church and its teachings.
In 2018, Viganò gained international attention when he released a dossier calling for Pope Francis to resign. He accused the pope of being aware of abuse allegations against Theodore McCarrick, the former cardinal of Washington, DC, and failing to take action. A subsequent Vatican inquiry disputed Viganò’s claims and exonerated Pope Francis.
As a Vatican diplomat, Viganò's role was to serve the pope, making his excommunication for schism a rare and significant event. Excommunication means he is barred from receiving sacraments such as communion. The Vatican clarified that Viganò was excommunicated after an "extrajudicial penal process," although thearchbishop has contested the legitimacy of the process.
Recently, Viganò has questioned the legitimacy of Pope Francis’ election, labeling it “null and void,” and has accused the pope of heresy and schism. He has criticized Pope Francis for supporting what he termed "climate fraud," advocating for COVID-19
vaccines, and promoting an inclusive, immigration-friendly, eco-sustainable, and LGBTQ-friendly church.
Viganò also stirred controversy by arranging a meeting between Pope Francis and Kim Davis, a Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, during the pope’s 2015 visit to the US. The Vatican later stated the meeting was not an endorsement of Davis's stance.
Following Viganò's 2018 call for Pope Francis to resign, several US bishops publicly supported the archbishop, a move criticized by some commentators. Viganò had once been viewed as an effective diplomat and church official. "I don’t know what happened",
said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, reflecting on Viganò's
current situation.
The Vatican confirmed that Viganò had been informed of his excommunication and emphasized that only the Holy See has the authority to lift the sanction.
