Will Francis punish Archbp. Viganò for his Testimony?

Archbp. Carlo Maria Viganò is experience what virtually all whistleblowers experience.   He is being smeared and savaged by those on whom he has blown the whistle.  Also, there is the threat of punishment, or being sued or prosecuted.  That often keeps whistleblowers from speaking out.

I read at Corrispondenza Romana that there may be an effort underway to punish Viganò for what he revealed. The Italian is tortured, but here is a quick rendering.

Archbishop Viganò: punished for having told the truth?

(Roberto de Mattei) Will Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who brought to light the existence of a network of corruption in the Vatican, calling those responsible to account, beginning with the supreme ecclesiastical authorities, be punished for telling the truth? Pope Francis is studying this possibility, if it is true, as more than one source confirms, who consulted Card. Francesco Coccopalmerio, and which some canonists, to study the possible canonical sanctions available in regard to the Archbishop, beginning with “suspension a divinis”.

[…]

I don’t have time or desire to read this purple patch. The point is, if Viganò is censured, then he was censured with the knowledge and will of Francis, not some high or mid-level mandarin.

BTW… in his Testimony, Viganò implicated Cocco.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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28 Comments

  1. mlmc says:

    Card Coccopalmerio??? Really- is any Cardinal more associated with sexual misconduct by his staff or clergy he has supported? Cardinal Wuerl seems pure as the driven snow in comparison (at least Wright & McCarrick where his superiors & he therefore wasn’t supposed to be their supervisors-unlike Inzoli & Capozzi). Please tell me the source for this is The Onion or BabylonBee.

  2. Traductora says:

    Amazing. I had some brief contact with Viganò because my tiny, unimportant diocese was without a bishop and I had sent a CD (old school, but this was about 8 years ago) promoting our historical importance to various people in Rome and also to our Nuncio, at that time, Abp Sambi. The latter wrote back to me saying he thought we would like our new bishop, and indeed we did. So I wrote to Abp Sambi to tell him that we appreciated this choice. When I was writing, I read that he was sick but it wasn’t thought to be anything major. But literally two days after sending the letter I read that he had died unexpectedly after surgery for what was thought to be not that serious a condition. And then only slightly later, I got a kind note from Abp Viganò telling me that Abp Sambi had died and inviting me to the funeral. Of course, I couldn’t attend, but it was very kind of him.

    I think everybody who has had contact with Viganò has had similar experiences. I think we need to pray for him every day. I hope he’s far from Rome, or he’ll end up in the Vatican jail subject to internationally illegal Vatican procedures. I guess Francis doesn’t want international law to apply in his own precincts. Not if it doesn’t suit him.

  3. Atra Dicenda, Rubra Agenda says:

    Cocco implicated himself by the fact his own secretary was drug out of a Vatican apartment amidst a cocaine binging homosexual orgy. Cocaine fueled homosexual orgy. Has everyone just forgotten that that happened? Is it such a normal thing in the Eternal City? Cocco hired the guy and that happened. To pretend like Cocco has no knowledge or experience with the homosexual network of corruption is laughable.

  4. Mike says:

    Tempting as it must be for the pope to lash out, his best bet is probably to leave Viganò under the sword of Damocles. Why should Francis disturb his cozy position between the Bergogliolators on one side and a paralyzed College of Cardinals on the other?

    Should the idolatry or the paralysis dissipate (or my analysis be wrong) then I’d expect major explosions.

  5. chantgirl says:

    The optics of punishing Vigano would be terrible. Right now, the papal fans on twitter are comparing Francis to Jesus, silent before accusers. If Francis punishes Vigano, the story will easily shift to a David and Goliath affair in which Francis becomes a bully of the little man.

    If Francis does punish Vigano, we may be seeing a shift in his papacy, in which the merciful, humble show gives way to the dictator flexing his power for all the world to see. If that shift happens, Lord have mercy.

  6. cwillia1 says:

    It is hard to imagine what sort of punishment could be meted out to Vigano short of an arbitrary, vindictive act of the pope. Any legal process would require the production of documents Vigano says exists. And there is no crime in calling for the pope’s resignation. Vigano’s career is over anyway.

  7. Traductora says:

    Chantgirl, the optics would be fine with Francis, because the press is now about 75% on his side, which would mean that media-manipulated people would be happy to see Viganó burned at the stake. Francis has been able to carry off every other horrible thing he has done, and, since Satan protects his own, I’m sure he’ll be able to get through this one just fine.

    Also, the Vatican legal system corresponds to no modern system, and is all positive law – the positive law of a despotic state. Secret detentions, no charges, held incomunicado…check. All part of the system.

  8. I think all this “silent” business is a farce. I have to respect the Office of the Pope, but I don’t have to like the office holder, and I don’t. God says I have to love everyone but I certainly don’t have to like them.

  9. AveMariaGratiaPlena says:

    Is there a patron saint of whistleblowers? I’ve of course been praying for Viganò, but am also going to start praying for other clergy & lay on the inside, that they will have the courage to speak out and/or leak documents/ information. There was one example just recently in Buffalo, where some heroic person leaked evidence that Bp. Malone had covered for abusive priests and lied about it to the press. The Buffalo media have been covering this story very well.

    Perhaps Fr. Z would have more insight into the atmosphere at the Vatican, but I would find it so shocking if other people don’t step forward in some way (even if it’s just leaking documents).

  10. AveMariaGratiaPlena says: Is there a patron saint of whistleblowers?

    I should think St. John Fisher would have to be available.

    Also, in The Present Crisis, St. Charles Lwanga.

  11. AveMariaGratiaPlena says:

    Thanks, Fr. Z. Just said the prayer for priests after the full St. Michael prayer, and will pray for the intercession of both St. John Fisher & St. Charles Lwanga to cover all bases.

  12. Kerry says:

    No, this is a head fake, an threat to anyone considering speaking up.
    Of course, if it’s not, not to worry, as the Holy Father is far too busy with global warming and the threats from plastic straws.

  13. Hidden One says:

    If Abp. Vigano ends up the defendent in a canonical trial, I wonder which (E)minent canonist might defend him.

  14. Grant M says:

    A patron saint of whistleblowers…
    There’s also the Prophet Daniel, who exposed two sexual predators posing as pious elders.

  15. JabbaPapa says:

    It would be hard to interpret any suspension a divinis of Archbishop Viganò as anything other than an act of schism.

  16. Peter B says:

    Father Z. , what to do with such reports provided by Polish KAI – Catholic News Agency related to Polish conference of Bishops, such as this one “In October 2017, Fr. Tomáš Halík from the Czech Republic along with the Austrian Jesuit, sociologist of religion, Fr. Paul Zulehner formed the initiative “Pro Pope Francis”, which sets itself the task of defending Francis against critics on the part of Catholics. Its members – representatives of the Catholic clergy and public life – addressed a letter to the Pope, whom they said on the website http://www.pro-pope-francis.com, “they want to express their gratitude for the bold and strongly theological exercise of the pontificate.” About 75 thousand of people signed this initiative. people from around the world, including 150 theologians from all continents.” And this is published in the context of the current confusion around the approach of the Vatican to serious accusations of Archbishop Vigano.

  17. DonL says:

    I’m so aghast at the very concept of Catholics in power using law to harm those protesting evil while protecting the evil-doers, but then I’m reminded that Satan’s game was to use God’s law to tempt him when he dared to quote scripture (God’s words) The battle between good and evil continues….

  18. ejcmartin says:

    Our archbishop is retiring by year end and a search is on for a new one. May I suggest Archbishop Vigano be cast out to the outer reaches of the universe, which our diocese is most certain is? He would be a breath of fresh air.

  19. robtbrown says:

    Mike says,

    Why should Francis disturb his cozy position between the Bergogliolators on one side and a paralyzed College of Cardinals on the other?

    Resp:

    They’re trying to wait this out, hoping the storm passes.

    In DC Wuerl has proclaimed a six weeks Season of Healing (read: BS gimmick). And a toolkit for it will be sent to pastors! Maybe if that doesn’t work, Wuerl will pull out the bureaucratic WMD–a Power Point Presentation.

    If that doesn’t work, he can always retire, claiming declining health prevents him from healing the archdiocese.

    At any rate, IMHO, they, including Francis, are hoping this dies out after a few months. I think Francis realizes that this latest development has made it all but impossible for him to govern the Church while this controversy continues. He tried to distract from the corruption by punishing McCarrick and Pineda, but his association with Wuerl, Farrell, Tobin, and Maradiaga (among others) makes it obvious that he is a phony.

  20. robtbrown says:

    Traductora says:

    Chantgirl, the optics would be fine with Francis, because the press is now about 75% on his side, which would mean that media-manipulated people would be happy to see Viganó burned at the stake.

    I agree that the press was once 75% on his side, but a line has now been crossed.

    Most US Catholics are liberal about sex in some sense: Contraception, votes for pro abortion candidates, homosexual liasons, etc. But they won’t put up with the corruption of the young, including not only covering up priest predation of young male adolescents but also the predatory strategies against young aspirants in seminaries and religious orders.

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  22. Viganó could file a canonical appeal, which I understand would delay any adverse action being taken. At least that’s … what’s … supposed to happen.

  23. Cradle Catholic says:

    Sept 7, 2018
    Church Militant has posted
    Pope’s canon lawyers drafting sanctions
    By Rev. Michael X., JCL
    Vatican officials are on the hunt for Abp. Carlo Maria Viganò.

    https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/the-hunt-for-vigano-vatican-spies-tracking-whistleblower

  24. tzard says:

    “…an effort underway to punish Viganò for what he revealed. The Italian is tortured, but here is a quick rendering.”

    Which Italian it tortured? Vigano?
    As for a rendering, my mind first thought of the cooking term…

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  26. MaryB435 says:

    Another great patron saint for whistle blowers would be the martyr St. Alban Roe.

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