Archbishop Viganò Calls into Question the Election of Pope Francis

David Martin | The Daily Knight

In a recent interview, former U.S. Papal Nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò said it is “necessary to shed light” on Pope Benedict’s resignation and expressed the need for “an official investigation” into the election of Pope Francis.

The Archbishop delivered his comments during a wide-ranging interview with Italian Vatican journalist Aldo Maria Valli, released April 5 and later reprinted on LifeSiteNews. While the interview covered a number of issues on the geopolitical chessboard, the heart of the interview concerned the pontifical crisis that has ensued since the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013.

Francis’ Pontificate Grew Out of Vatican II

Therein Archbishop Viganò pointed out that the doctrinal metastasis of Pope Francis didn’t just “appear out of nowhere” but grew out of the conciliar cancer of Vatican II.

“The crisis began with Vatican II: deploring the symptoms of an illness without understanding its causes is a useless and harmful operation. If the College of Cardinals is not persuaded that it is necessary to return to what the Church believed, taught, and celebrated up until Pius XII, all opposition to the present regime will be doomed to certain failure.”

Official Investigation Needed

Viganò was then asked if there was a “credible and authentically Catholic” prelate within the College of Cardinals on whom the cardinals could focus their votes in a conclave in order to effect a “total change” for the better in the Church.

The Archbishop initiated his response by observing that some popes are “inflicted” on the Church rather than being “granted” to her.

Viganò went on to deliver the brunt of his answer.

“Before discussing the next Conclave, it is necessary to shed light on the abdication of Benedict XVI and the question of the manipulation of the 2013 Conclave, which sooner or later ought to be the subject of an official investigation.”

The Archbishop continued:

“If there proves to be any evidence of irregularity, the Conclave would be null and the election of Bergoglio would be null, just as all of his appointments, acts of governance, and magisterial utterances would be null. It would be a reset that would providentially bring us back to the status quo ante, with a College of Cardinals composed only of those Cardinals who were appointed up to the time of Benedict XVI, ousting all those who have been created since 2013 who are notoriously ultraprogressive.

“Certainly the present situation, with all of the rumors circulating about [Cardinal] Ratzinger’s resignation and Bergoglio’s election, does not help the ecclesial body and creates confusion and disorientation among the faithful.”

Pope Needed who can Dismiss Vatican II

Viganò went on to say that in order to restore the Church to God’s liking we need a pope who can forget Vatican II and focus instead on the salvation of souls.

“Here too, Catholics can implore the Divine Majesty to spare His Church further humiliations by granting her a good Pope. If there is a Cardinal that really wants to “change the tune,” let him come forward and – for the love of God – may he stop referring to Vatican II and instead think of the sanctification of the Clergy and the faithful.”

Given Archbishop Vigano’s integrity, experience, courage, devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and his pure and unwavering dedication to the Catholic Faith, his advice that Benedict’s abdication and Francis’ election “be the subject of an official investigation” certainly warrants our consideration. Who can deny he is speaking truthfully and pastorally before God?

According to Viganò, if an episcopal investigation into the 2013 conclave revealed “any evidence of irregularity,” it would nullify Francis’ election, along with all of his subsequent appointments, acts of governance, and magisterial utterances. 1 This is in keeping with Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution Universi Dominici Gregis, which states:

Should the election take place in a way other than that prescribed in the present Constitution, or should the conditions laid down here not be observed, the election is for this very reason null and void, without any need for a declaration on the matter; consequently, it confers no right on the one elected. (76)

The 2013 election indeed did take place in a way other than prescribed in John Paul’s Constitution, which you can read about here.

We should note that Archbishop Viganò isn’t a "traditionalist" in the strict sense of the word. He's more in-bounds than most anyone else, which is more than we can say for the many schismatics running the Vatican today. And while his position on Francis and the Vatican aren’t shared by most of today’s bishops let us not forget the teaching of St. Augustine who said that “Right is right even if no one is doing it.”

We indeed pray that a committee of bishops can convene to examine Benedict’s resignation and Francis’ election so that it can clear up the present-day “confusion and disorientation among the faithful.”

1. This probably would not apply to the consecration of Russia-Ukraine this past March because of the participation of Pope Benedict and that of the many well intending bishops and priests throughout the world. Provided of course that the formula used for the Act of Consecration was up to code in the judgment of Almighty God.