PeoplePublic figure
Carlo Maria Viganò
ItalyNo analyses yet
About Carlo Maria Viganò
Carlo Maria Viganò is a titular archbishop (of Ulpiana) who served as the Holy See's apostolic nuncio to the United States from 2011 to 2016 (NPR; Holy See Press Office). Since 2018 he has issued numerous public statements, open letters and interviews that traditionalist and conservative Catholic outlets such as LifeSiteNews, The Remnant and Inside the Vatican have carried.
2018 testimony. On 25 August 2018 he released an 11-page statement alleging that Pope Francis had known of restrictions placed on Theodore McCarrick under Benedict XVI and had set them aside, and calling on Francis to resign (NPR). The Vatican's 2020 McCarrick Report disputed key parts of his account and said that he had not acted on a 2012 instruction to assess allegations against McCarrick; he denied its accusations (NCR; CWR).
2020 statements. In June 2020 he argued that the Second Vatican Council itself was the root of later errors and defended the suggestion that it be forgotten (InfoVaticana). Open letters to President Donald Trump in June and October 2020 spoke of a "deep state" and a "deep church" and described the "Great Reset" as a plan by a global elite; the Anti-Defamation League has treated the October letter as central to the spread of the "Great Reset" conspiracy theory (NCR).
Excommunication. Summoned in June 2024 to answer a charge of schism, he said he did not recognise the authority of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, its prefect, or the pope, and did not appear (NCR). On 5 July 2024 the dicastery declared that he had been found guilty of schism and had incurred latae sententiae excommunication, the lifting of which is reserved to the Apostolic See (DDF communiqué). He was not dismissed from the clerical state (The Pillar).
See the explainer Viganò's excommunication for schism.
In a letter dated 23 October 2021 to Archbishop José Gomez, then president of the U.S. bishops' conference, and to CDF officials, Viganò argued that the CDF's 2020 note on COVID-19 vaccines had neglected proportionality and that there was a grave duty to refuse the vaccines; he urged bishops to support religious exemptions (Catholic Family News). See COVID-19 vaccines.
On the timeline
Full timelineThe 8 most recent of 11 dated events, newest first.
Viganò says Leo XIV's Élysée speech promotes the 'exact opposite of the Magisterium'
Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, declared excommunicated for schism in 2024, posted a critique on X of Leo XIV's 25 September address at the Élysée Palace, which LifeSiteNews republished. He objected to the speech's favourable references to…
SourcesArchbishop Viganò: Leo XIV promotes 'exact opposite of the Magisterium' (LifeSiteNews (republishing a statement first posted on X by Archbishop Viganò))Apostolic Journey to France: Meeting with the Authorities, Civil Society and… (The Holy See (vatican.va))
Vatican declares Viganò excommunicated for schism
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith announced that an extrajudicial penal process concluded on 4 July had found Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò guilty of the reserved delict of schism. It declared the latae sententiae…
Viganò publishes Vatican summons on schism charge and rejects the tribunal's authority
Archbishop Viganò posted a Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith decree of 11 June summoning him on 20 June to answer a charge of schism, citing his denial of Pope Francis's legitimacy and rejection of Vatican II. He did not appear and…
Viganò urges US bishops to back religious exemptions from COVID vaccines
In a letter to USCCB president Archbishop José Gomez and to CDF officials, Carlo Maria Viganò argued that the CDF's 2020 note neglected proportionality, said there was a grave duty to refuse the vaccines, and asked bishops to support…
SourcesAbp. Viganò Releases Letter He Sent to US Bishops and CDF on Vaccine Quandary (Catholic Family News)Letter #136, 2021, Wed, Oct 27: Viganò to Gomez (Inside the Vatican)
De Mattei alleges texts signed by Viganò were written by others; Viganò denies it
Corrispondenza Romana published, in Italian and English, Roberto de Mattei's article 'The Viganò Case: The Archbishop and His Double', alleging that many letters signed by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò had been written by one or more…
SourcesLetter #38, 2021, Tuesday, June 22: Accusation (Inside the Vatican)Archbishop Viganò Responds to Professor de Mattei (The Remnant)
Vatican's McCarrick Report disputes key parts of Viganò's 2018 account
The Holy See's report on Theodore McCarrick disputed Viganò's description of Benedict-era sanctions and said he had not acted on a 2012 request from Cardinal Marc Ouellet to assess allegations against McCarrick. Viganò denied the report's…
SourcesVatican report reveals omissions in Archbishop Viganò's 'testimony' (National Catholic Reporter)In interview with Raymond Arroyo, Viganò denies accusations from McCarrick… (Catholic World Report)
Viganò's second open letter to Trump presents the 'Great Reset' as a global-elite plot
A second open letter from Archbishop Viganò, dated 25 October 2020, described the World Economic Forum's 'Great Reset' as a plan by a global elite to subdue humanity through coercive measures. The Anti-Defamation League has described the…
SourcesThe Great Reset Conspiracy Flourishes Amid Continued Pandemic (Anti-Defamation League)Viganò on the Great Reset (The Remnant)
Viganò essay treats the Second Vatican Council as the source of later errors
Responding to a 1 June essay by Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Archbishop Viganò argued that the Council itself lay at the root of later deviations. After Vatican commentator Sandro Magister wrote that such a wholesale rejection stood at…
Sources for this profile
- Communiqué — Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (vatican.va), Jul 5, 2024
- Bollettino N. 0554 – Venerdì 05.07.2024 — Holy See Press Office, Jul 5, 2024
- Archbishop Alleges Pope Francis Long Knew About Abuse, Calls On Him To Resign — NPR, Aug 26, 2018
- Vatican report reveals omissions in Archbishop Viganò's 'testimony' — National Catholic Reporter
- In interview with Raymond Arroyo, Viganò denies accusations from McCarrick Report — Catholic World Report, Nov 12, 2020
- Viganò: «No creo que haya nada censurable en sugerir que hay que olvidar el Vaticano II» — InfoVaticana, Jul 7, 2020
- Tweet from Trump puts controversial Archbishop Viganò back into US politics — National Catholic Reporter
- The Great Reset Conspiracy Flourishes Amid Continued Pandemic — Anti-Defamation League, Dec 29, 2020
- Archbishop Viganò says he faces schism charges from Vatican's doctrinal office — National Catholic Reporter
- Archbishop Viganò excommunicated (reprint of The Pillar) — BishopAccountability.org / The Pillar
- Viganò on the Great Reset — The Remnant
- Abp. Viganò Releases Letter He Sent to US Bishops and CDF on Vaccine Quandary — Catholic Family News, Oct 26, 2021
About this profile
Analyses of statements by Carlo Maria Viganò
We haven’t published an analysis about Carlo Maria Viganò yet. This profile documents public role and public output only.
Latest analyses