"Pope Francis, 'Servant of Satan' Archbishop Ultimately Excommunicated"

Opposition to 'LGBTQ+ Inclusion'

The Catholic Church has imposed its most severe penalty, excommunication, on the ultra-conservative Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigan? (83), who has harshly criticized Pope Francis as a "servant of Satan."

Archbishop Vigan? during his tenure as the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States in 2015
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

Major foreign media reported that the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith announced on the 5th (local time) that Archbishop Vigan? was excommunicated for causing division within the Catholic Church and denying the legitimacy of Pope Francis.

The Congregation pointed out, "His public stance of refusing to recognize and obey the Pope, rejecting communion with members of the Church who obey the Pope, and denying the legitimacy of the Second Vatican Council is well known."

Excommunication is the most severe punishment, forcibly expelling a person from the Catholic community. Except in very exceptional cases, those who are excommunicated cannot participate in any sacraments conducted by the Catholic Church community.

Archbishop Vigan? has not yet stated his position, but last week he declared via social media that he could not acknowledge the legitimacy of the disciplinary process and would not attend the proceedings.

Archbishop Vigan?, originally from Italy, is a leading conservative figure within Catholicism who has harshly criticized Pope Francis's progressive tendencies. He served as the papal nuncio to the United States but was recalled to his home country in 2016 amid criticism that he was involved in political disputes opposing same-sex marriage. Opposing the inclusive policies toward sexual minorities (LGBT: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender), he called Pope Francis a "false prophet" and "servant of Satan," and in 2018, he even urged the Pope to resign voluntarily.

He also attempted to establish a theological university outside the influence of the Vatican to train clergy. Furthermore, he strongly criticized the Catholic Church's attempts to cover up sexual abuse and claimed that Pope Francis himself sexually abused a boy, although he did not provide evidence. He has frequently referred to Pope Francis by his birth name, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, refusing to acknowledge his authority.

Since his ascension in 2013, Pope Francis has pushed progressive reforms, advocating for the Catholic Church to become more inclusive of minorities and socially vulnerable groups and to respect the voices of the laity. Four months after becoming Pope, when asked by a reporter about homosexuality, he responded, "Who am I to judge?" Since then, he has worked to change the Catholic Church's attitude toward sexual minorities, causing friction with the conservative factions within Catholicism.