Roberto De Mattei published a stunning claim about archbishop Carlo M. Vigano:

De Mattei: “The question we pose is therefore this: analysis of the language and content of the documents produced by Archbishop Viganò during the years 2020-2021 reveals an author different from that of the years 2018-2019. But if Archbishop Viganò is not the author of his writings, who now is filling in his words, and perhaps even his thoughts? We would never have opened the case if so many good traditionalists were not presenting as a quasi-magisterium the statements, not of Archbishop Viganò, but of his ‘double.’ ” Italian professor Dr. Roberto De Mattei, June 21, in an article published on his website, Corrispondenza Romana.

* Inside the Vatican
* English translation of the De Mattei article
* Vigano’s Denial at LifeSiteNews

My Take

First, I believe Vigano when he says that he himself wrote all of the articles and correspondence attributed to his name, the material in 2018 to 2019, and the later material in 2020 to 2021. It’s the same human person who wrote all of it.

Second, what prompted De Mattei to claim that perhaps another author or authors were writing for Vigano is the change in the perspective, ideas, conclusions, theories, and even the radical change in the theology of these writings. Vigano went through a severe change in his perspective on the Church and on society, especially do to his response to the pandemic. The resulted in a change in vocabulary, theological point of view, etc. — making it seem as if a different person was writing in the latter time period, as compared to the former. There is no Vigano double — he is his own double, meaning that the same person is simply writing from a different perspective.

What caused this change in perspective? In August of 2018, Vigano released his letters on the abuse crisis in the Church. His concern for victims and his demand for accountability are praiseworthy. However, he accused Pope Francis of grave culpability in this regard, even assuming gravely immoral interior motives by the Pontiff, while we know that no one can know the heart of a human person but God. At that point, Vigano, having been fired by Pope Francis some time earlier, began his public opposition to the Roman Pontiff.

If it were merely a case of criticizing the Pope and the Bishops for not doing more about sexual abuse, Vigano would be criticized by few and would have remained in the mainstream of bishops and even of papal critics. But as he gained notoriety and influence, he began to take upon himself a role, not granted to him by the Church, of overseeing the Roman Pontiff and the body of Bishops. Moreover, when the pandemic ensued, he took the role, with many far right Catholics egging him on, of overseeing the response to the pandemic, and proposing a conspiracy theory of the most severe type, one that joined his unscientific denial of the pandemic with his rejection of the decisions and authority of the Roman Pontiff.

Vigano’s writings in 2020 to the present are different from his earlier writings, not because a different person wrote them, but because he himself changed. He went from a critic of Pope Francis, to a complete rejection of his authority. Vigano now claims Pope Francis is a pope associated with the Antichrist, that his Magisterium is false, and that he rules over a false Church superimposed on the true Church. Such claims are incompatible with a divine and catholic faith, and with dogmatic teachings of the Church as explained in this articles.

Carlo Vigano rebelled against the Roman Pontiff, lost his faith in the indefectibility of the Church, lost his faith in the never-failing faith of Peter and his successors, lost his faith in the freedom from grave error of the Apostolic See, and so he became a manifest heretic. Whether he has a sincere but mistaken conscience or not is for God to judge. But his theological claims about the Roman Pontiff and the Catholic Church are indefensible.

My position:

* The Roman Pontiff has immunity from grave error and a never-failing faith
* The Apostolic See is unblemished and has never wandered from the path of Apostolic Tradition
* Vatican I, Pastor Aeternus, and Indefectibility
* Popes can never teach or commit heresy
* Quotes from Saint Robert Bellarmine

The Church is indefectible. The Roman Pontiff has the charism of truth and of never-failing faith, and therefore he can never err gravely in doctrine or discipline, nor can he fail in faith by heresy, apostasy, or idolatry. The body of Bishops are confirmed in faith by Peter and his successors, and therefore, only as long as they remain in communion with, and submissive to, the Roman Pontiff, they too cannot fail in faith or err gravely (in what has the approval of both the body of Bishops and the Roman Pontiff).

Regarding Vigano

Obstinate denial of any truth taught by the Magisterium infallibly is heresy. This includes the teachings of Vatican I on the charism of truth and of never-failing faith of each Roman Pontiff, and on the indefectibility of the Church. The basis for these dogmas are the words of our Lord Jesus, who said that the gates of Hell will never prevail over the Church precisely because She is founded on Peter and his successors. And Peter and his successors have the charism of never-failing faith, due to the promise and prayer of Jesus.

{16:18} And I say to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
{16:19} And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound, even in heaven. And whatever you shall release on earth shall be released, even in heaven.”

{22:32} But I have prayed for you, so that your faith may not fail, and so that you, once converted, may confirm your brothers.”
(Mt 16:18; Lk 22:32)

The accusations which “archbishop” Carlo Maria Vigano has made against Pope Francis, Vatican II, and the Church Herself are directly contrary to Catholic dogma and therefore constitute manifest grave heresy. The obstinacy of this heresy is shown by the repeated severe public expressions, many times over, by Vigano, against Vatican II, the Popes since that time, and especially Pope Francis. As a manifest heretic, Vigano falls under the judgment of all the ancient fathers of the Church and Canon Law that heretics are cut off from the Church: latae sententiae excommunication.

Moreover, Vigano is guilty of public severe formal schism, for his vicious attacks on the Roman Pontiff and the body of Bishops who remain in Communion with him. He accepts nothing of the authority of Pope Francis, even going so far as to usually refuse to call him Pope Francis or Roman Pontiff, while in the same article, he will refer to other Popes by their papal names. He mainly refers to the Vicar of Christ as Bergoglio, as if he were not the valid Roman Pontiff at all, or as if a valid Roman Pontiff could fail gravely in faith (even though this is contrary to the promise and prayer of Jesus in Luke 22:32) and would go astray from Apostolic tradition, contrary to the teachings of Vatican I and the ordinary universal Magisterium.

These are the Canons that apply to Vigano:

Canon 751: “Heresy is the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.”

Canon 1364, n. 1: “an apostate from the faith, a heretic, or a schismatic incurs a latae sententiae excommunication”

Can. 915 “Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.”

Canon Law 1373: “A person who publicly incites among subjects animosities or hatred against the Apostolic See or an ordinary because of some act of power or ecclesiastical ministry or provokes subjects to disobey them is to be punished by an interdict or other just penalties.”

He is automatically excommunicated for heresy and schism. He is not fit to say Mass, nor to receive Communion. He has publicly incited animosity towards the Apostolic See because of the acts of power and ecclesiastical ministry of the Roman Pontiff, and he further provokes the faithful to disobey the Roman Pontiff and the Bishops who cooperate with him.

Therefore, Carlo Vigano is not a Roman Catholic bishop in good standing, but rather an heretical and schismatic bishop, who was fired by the Roman Pontiff, and who has no episcopal authority in the Church at all. He is undeserving of his middle name, Maria. He should not be referred to as “archbishop” or “bishop” by the faithful. And his writings should not be read except to oppose them and to expose their errors.

The dogmas denied by Vigano: Vatican I, Pastor Aeternus on the charism of truth and of never-failing faith, on the freedom from grave error of the Apostolic See, on the authority of the Roman Pontiff as successor of Peter, and on the indefectibility of the Church. Then also he denies the dogmas of the ordinary universal Magisterium on the Roman Pontiff: as detailed in this lost list of magisterial teachings.

Since the Church is indefectible, the body of Bishops can never go astray following a false head. Since the body of Bishops follows Pope Francis, and has for over 8 years now, Pope Francis must be the true and valid Roman Pontiff and successor of Peter. Since the Roman Pontiff has the charism of truth and of never-failing faith, Francis cannot possibly be guilty of the acts of heresy, idolatry, and apostasy of which Vigano has accused him. No Roman Pontiff has ever failed in faith, as Saint Robert Bellarmine taught and as the First Vatican Council confirmed dogmatically.

This same teaching was taught by Pope Saint Agatho, in his Letter accepted into the acts of the Sixth Ecumenical Council. Was Pope Honorius I condemned by the Sixth Council? No. For nothing is of a Council unless approved by the Roman Pontiff. The attempt by some Council fathers to condemn Honorius for heresy, despite the rebuke of this attempt by Pope Saint Agatho, was stopped by Pope Saint Leo II, who changed the charge against Honorius from heresy to negligence.

If you cannot reconcile the teachings and decisions of Vatican II, the Vatican II Popes (from John 23 forward), and Pope Francis, then you must change your beliefs to accept what the Catholic Church teaches. For She is the sole Ark of Salvation, and all those who pass away outside that Ark suffer forever in the fires of Hell. Thus, it is hypocritical for Catholics to attack Pope Francis and reject Vatican II, thereby falling into heresy and schism — and then to proclaim to the world that they must become Catholic to be saved.

In truth, many non-Catholic Christians, non-Christian believers, and non-believers are saved and reach eternal life in Heaven, while Catholics who reject their own Church and Her Pastors and Teachings face the real possibility of eternal damnation.

Summary

Vigano changed as a person and as a Catholic when he rejected Pope Francis and went astray from the true Faith. This resulted in a change in his theology and his writings, making it seem as if a different person were writing. Instead, the same person was writing from a new point of view, the view of a heretic and schismatic who spread conspiracy theories about the Church and society.

Ronald L. Conte Jr.