This is being buried with the tragic news that John McCain died yesterday, but a bombshell has dropped in the Catholic sex abuse scandal, and it involves the Pope himself.
“It has an apocalyptic feel either way.”
Annnnnd in the evening's *other* news, this document is quite possibly a truly historic bombshell in the life of the Roman Catholic Church. https://t.co/cxY3xNi76g
— Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) August 26, 2018
Written by the former papal nuncio to the U.S., it does exactly what many have called for, and offers testimony concerning who in the hierarchy knew what, and when, about the crimes of Cardinal McCarrick. The testimony implicates a host of high-ranking churchmen. And the pope.
— Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) August 26, 2018
In fact, both popes. But Benedict appears as a figure (weakly, insufficiently) attempting to act on testimony concerning McCarrick's crimes, while Francis is portrayed as intent on restoring the pederast cardinal to activity and influence *despite* his awareness of those crimes.
— Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) August 26, 2018
This is either an extraordinary and vicious slander or an act of revelation that should be the undoing of just about every figure mentioned in its pages. It has an apocalyptic feel either way.
— Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) August 26, 2018
“Civil war”
I've got the full text of the bombshell Vigano testimony on the McCarrick conspiracy in the Vatican, as well as a summary here. It's clear that this means civil war at the highest levels of the Catholic Church. Read it for yourself: https://t.co/C6Rwamrazc
— Rod Dreher (@roddreher) August 26, 2018
Here’s a summation of some of the most damning accusations:
- In 2000, the nuncio in Washington informed Cardinal Angelo Sodano, at the time the Vatican’s Secretary of State, about the allegations against then-Archbishop Ted McCarrick — that he was forcing himself on seminarians.
- McCarrick had been No. 14 on the official list for Washington, but somehow he was given his red hat.
- In 2006, Vigano, working within the Curia, drafted a memo warning that the allegations against McCarrick were so severe that Rome should remove him from the cardinalate. He was ignored. He did so again in 2008, summarizing Richard Sipe’s open letter to Benedict. He was again ignored. Vigano believes that pro-gay Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, then the Secretary of State, prevented the news from reaching Pope Benedict.
- Finally, in 2009 or 2010, Pope Benedict learned of McCarrick’s sins, and “imposed on Cardinal McCarrick sanctions similar to those now imposed on him by Pope Francis: the Cardinal was to leave the seminary where he was living, he was forbidden to celebrate [Mass] in public, to participate in public meetings, to give lectures, to travel, with the obligation of dedicating himself to a life of prayer and penance.”
- McCarrick was told of these sanctions face to face twice — by Vigano, and by his predecessor in Washington. Vigano says he informed Cardinal Wuerl about them as well. If true, Wuerl’s denials that he knew about McCarrick are lies. Says Vigano, “The Cardinal lies shamelessly.”
- McCarrick defied Benedict’s order.
- Benedict’s sanctions against McCarrick were widely known among the most powerful cardinals in the Curia. Vigano names them in such a way as to indicate that they are all part of a gay mafia out to undermine Catholic teaching.
If he is of sound mind. Pope Benedict MUST be asked immediately to confirm or deny Vigano’s story about McCarrick.
— Michael Brendan Dougherty (@michaelbd) August 26, 2018
https://twitter.com/IngrahamAngle/status/1033653052849438721Archbishop Vigano has done right by the Catholic flock and the victims of this evil predation committed, tolerated and hidden by the Church hierarchy.
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) August 26, 2018
Archbishop Viganò, the former papal nuncio to the US, recounts that he personally told Pope Francis about McCarrick and his reputation in June 2013, five years and two mo’s ago, and that Pope Francis did nothing.
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) August 26, 2018
There are three popes accused by Vigano's testimony. One is dead and a saint.
— Massimo Faggioli (@MassimoFaggioli) August 26, 2018
The one who took visible and public action against McCarrick in 2018 is pope Francis.
The rest is a story with many holes, gaps, unexplained delays, and remarkable silences by former nuncio Vigano.
Pretty remarkable and very damning. So far the Vatican is refusing to respond yet.
UPDATE:
The Pope has tweeted.
I ask our Blessed Mother to intercede for the healing of the survivors of abuse and to confirm every member of our Christian family in the resolve never again to permit these situations to occur.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) August 26, 2018
Good enough! Case. Closed.