The Vatican announced the excommunication of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò for schism, due to his refusal to submit to Pope Francis and the Church’s authority. Viganò, a former papal nuncio to the U.S., has been a vocal critic of Pope Francis, accusing him of heresy and schism. The excommunication follows Viganò’s defiance of a Vatican summons and his public statements rejecting the legitimacy of Pope Francis and the Second Vatican Council. This excommunication is the most severe penalty, placing Viganò outside the communion of the Catholic Church and denying him access to the sacraments.
