Vatican excomulga to Arzobispo Carlo Maria Viganò by cisma

The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has declared Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò guilty of the crime of schism and confirmed his excommunication.

Through a statement, the Dicastery has reported that yesterday, July 4, the extrajudicial criminal process against Mons. Carlo Maria Viganò, Titular Archbishop of Ulpania, accused of the reserved crime of schism, concluded.

The Vatican highlights that “his public statements are known, from which his refusal to recognize and submit to the Supreme Pontiff, the communion with the members of the Church submitted to him and the legitimacy and magisterial authority of the Ecumenical Council are clear.” Vatican II”.

In the message released this July 5, they specify that, at the end of the criminal process, “Mons. Carlo Maria Viganò has been declared guilty of the reserved crime of schism” and for this reason the Dicastery has declared “the excommunication automatic decision” (penalty already imposed).

They also remember that the removal of censorship in these cases is reserved for the Apostolic See and that the decision has been communicated to Archbishop Viganò, also former nuncio to the United States, this July 5.

Beginning of the process for a crime of schism

The excommunicated archbishop reported on June 20 on social networks about the beginning of a process against him for the alleged crime of schism by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

He also reported that he had been summoned to Rome on June 20 to face extrajudicial criminal proceedings over the accusations. However, defied Vatican summons and reiterated his claim that Pope Francis is not the legitimate Pope of the Catholic Church.

The specific charges outlined against Archbishop Viganò involved making public statements that allegedly deny the fundamental elements necessary to maintain communion with the Catholic Church. This includes denying the legitimacy of Pope Francis as the legitimate pontiff and outright rejection of the doctrines established during the Second Vatican Council.

The former apostolic nuncio to the United States — who made headlines in 2018 for claiming that senior Church officials covered up abuse committed by former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick — has repeatedly rejected Pope Francis’ authority since then and asked him to resign.

In an extensive declaration shared on social networks this June 28, Viganò accused Pope Francis of “heresy and schism” for his promotion of COVID-19 vaccines and his supervision of 2018 agreement between the Vatican and China for the appointment of bishops in the Asian country.

What does excommunication for schism mean?

Schism is a crime defined in the Code of Canon Law as “the rejection of subjection to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him”, while heresy is “the persistent denial, after receiving baptism, of a truth that must be believed with faith.” divine and catholic, or the persistent doubt about it.”

For its part, the excommunication It is considered the most serious penalty for a baptized person, which consists of separating him from the communion of the faithful of the Catholic Church and from access to the sacraments.