Pope Francis accepted Vigano's resignation from the church's diplomatic corps in 2016, about three months after he had reached the traditional retirement age of 75.
Consequently, Vigano's 7,000-word letter online appears to be payback to Pope Francis for removing him as nuncio to the U.S. In his online document, Vigano names names of certain bishops and Vatican officials who allegedly deviated from the church's traditionalist stance against homosexual practices. However, their names and titles are not widely known, so his 7,000-word letter is, at times, a bit challenging to follow.
Now, OEN readers may support "the deviated wing of the Society of Jesus" -- that is, OEN readers may not agree with the church's traditionalist stance against homosexual practices, as I do not.
Moreover, OEN readers are probably disgusted about the sexual abuse of children by priests, as am I.
But what about the sexual exploitation of young adults, not minors, by McCarrick? If we cheer on women who expose how Harvey Weinstein used his position of power to manipulate them into having sex with him, shouldn't we cheer on men who come forward to expose how McCarrick used his position of power to manipulate them into having sex with him?
For Vigano and certain other traditionalist Catholics, the problem of priest sexual exploitation of young adults is sexually active homosexual priests such as McCarrick.
For Pope Francis, the problem of priest sexual exploitation of young adults, and the cover-ups orchestrated by bishops, involves what he refers to as clericalism. Say what? That's right -- that's what he says. He inveighs against clericalism. OK, priests and bishops are clerics. I get that much. But Pope Francis does not propose to get rid of clerics (i.e., priests and bishops). Instead, he wants priests and bishops to get rid of their clericalism, whatever that is -- and however one goes about getting rid of one's clericalism.
As I have intimated above, I think that the greatest problem facing the church today involves the classicist worldview in Catholic theological thought versus historical-mindedness. However, I admit that I do not know what practical steps might be taken to help traditionalist Catholics today pivot to historical-mindedness.
Now, we have not yet heard Pope Francis' side of the story about McCarrick. It is hard for me to imagine that the pope will remain silent about Vigano's allegations against him as part of the cover up McCarrick's sexual behavior as news outlets around the world report Vigano's allegations. So what did Pope Francis know about Cardinal McCarrick, and when did he know it?
As to Vigano's call for Pope Francis to resign, I would point out that the church already has one resigned pope -- Benedict XVI. I don't think that church would benefit from having two resigned popes at the same time.
However, in my estimate, Pope Francis needs to upgrade his thought and expression. In theological terminology, he needs to undergo a further conversion spiritually -- and not just because of Vigano's open letter online, but because of his inadequate handling of the priest-sex-abuse scandal and cover up. In biblical terminology, he is facing the test of his life -- and of his papacy. He is going to have to respond more effectively to the wave of news-media coverage of Vigana's letter than he did to the wave of new-media coverage of the Pennsylvania grand-jury report. Yes, there are enough journalists who know who the people are or were that Vigano mentions, and they will report what Vigano says in his letter.
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