Cardinal Marc Ouellet has written an open letter to Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò about the endemic corruption Viganò says has invaded the Church’s hierarchy.
Noting Viganò had urged him to tell the truth about Archbishop Emeritus Theodore McCarrick, Ouellet – with Pope Francis’s permission – offered Viganò his “personal testimony, as the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.”
Ouellet says his response is based partly on his personal knowledge “regarding the events concerning McCarrick and his presumed links with Pope Francis” and partly on documents in the Congregation for Bishops’ archive.
The events Ouellet refers to constitute the subject of what he calls Viganò’s “sensational public denunciation, as well as [his] demand that the Holy Father resign.”
Addressing his letter to “Dear fellow brother, Carlo Maria Viganò,” Ouellet went on to denounce the former nuncio’s accusations against Francis, charging him with “blasphemy” for calling into question the pope’s faith and asking him to repent.
“Your present position appears to me incomprehensible and extremely reprehensible, not only because of the confusion that it sows in the People of God, but also because of the accusations that seriously damage the good name of the Successors of the Apostles,” Ouellet told Viganò.
Ouellet provided Viganò with numerous reasons for disbelieving his testimony against Francis. These include:
- lack of written evidence
- that he “strongly” doubted McCarrick was of interest to Francis in 2011 “to the point [Viganò] believed him to be, since … he was an 82-year-old Archbishop Emeritus who had been without an appointment for seven years”
- the written brief the Congregation of Bishops prepared for Viganò at the beginning of his service in 2011 said only one thing about McCarrick
The written brief focused on McCarrick’s situation as an emeritus Bishop: he was supposed to obey certain conditions and restrictions due to rumours surrounding his past behaviour.
Source
- America Magazine
- Vatican News
- Image: CBC.ca
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