Letter from Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco:
August 29, 2018
Dear Faithful of the Archdiocese,
Last Sunday witnessed what many are calling a “bombshell” in the Church: the publication of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s “Testimony,” alleging corruption and coverup at all levels of the Church based on his long and extensive personal knowledge.
I came to know Archbishop Viganò well during the years he served as Apostolic Nuncio here in the United States. I can attest that he is a man who served his mission with selfless dedication, who fulfilled well the Petrine mission entrusted to him by the Holy Father to “strengthen his brothers in the faith,” and who would do so at great personal sacrifice and with absolutely no consideration given to furthering his “career” – all of which speaks to his integrity and sincere love of the Church. Moreover, while having no privileged information about the Archbishop McCarrick situation, from information I do have about a very few of the other statements Archbishop Viganò makes, I can confirm that they are true. His statements, therefore, must be taken seriously. To dismiss them lightly would continue a culture of denial and obfuscation. Of course, to validate his statements in detail a formal investigation will have to be conducted, one that is thorough and objective. I am therefore grateful to Cardinal DiNardo for recognizing the merit of finding answers that are “conclusive and based on evidence,” and I join my voice to that of other bishops in calling for such an investigation and for taking any corrective action that may be necessary in light of its findings.
I was named a bishop on July 5, 2002, three weeks after the USCCB meeting in Dallas that approved the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, and still at the height of the drama of revelations of sex abuse of minors by clergy.
At that time, I was asked to conduct a prayer service at the conclusion of a conference on family life hosted by the diocese that attracted participants from around the world. I met there an Australian priest with whom I was acquainted during our years of study in Rome, and he congratulated me on my appointment. I replied, “Thank you, but this is not a good time to become a bishop.” I will never forget his response to me: “But it is a good time to be a great bishop.”
What he said to me then can be said to every Catholic at this time. The Church is in need of purification. Purification is always painful. My dear victims: you know this more than anyone; please know of our prayers and love for you, and that we continue to be here for you, to support you and help you to heal with the resources we have available.
I believe God is beginning this painful process of purification for us now, but for it to work, we must cooperate. God has always raised up great saints in similar times of turmoil in the Church. I call on all of us to rededicate ourselves to prayer, penance and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, so that God will bless us with this grace.
Please know of my gratitude to you all: to you our priests, who remain close by your people, lending them support and pastoral care in this time of crisis; to you our deacons, who assist priests in this responsibility and bring the Gospel to those for whom it would otherwise be inaccessible; to you our victims assistance coordinators and to all who support victims on the painful path toward healing; to the faculty and administration of St. Patrick’s Seminary for your hard work in providing deep and healthy formation for our future priests for the renewal of the Church in our corner of the Lord’s vineyard, and to our seminarians for your fervor and generosity in responding to the Lord’s call of priestly service; and last but not least, to you, our people, for your prayer, for your love and concern for the Church, which now moves you to demand change that is effective and decisive, and for your support of our priests.
May God grant us all the grace to be the agents of change and purification that He is calling us to be at this time.
Sincerely yours in our Lord,
Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
Archbishop of San Francisco
From Diocese of San Francisco.
Letter from Bishop Vann of Diocese of Orange:
It was very difficult for me to read the eleven page testimony given by the Most Reverend Carlo Maria Viganò on August 22, 2018 and released (in English) on August 25, 2018. Noting that the former second in command in the Apostolic Nunciature, Msgr. Jean Francois Lantheaume, has stated that Archbishop Viganò told “the truth,” I would add that I see Archbishop Viganò as a man of integrity, having known him for many years.
Given the grave accusations leveled by the former apostolic nuncio, I believe that it is necessary for the Holy Father to ensure that a competent investigation be undertaken swiftly. The truth of each accusation having been established, just penalties should be imposed upon those found guilty with the goal of repairing scandal and restoring justice. As Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, noted in his August 27, 2018 statement, “The letter of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò brings particular focus and urgency to this examination. The questions raised deserve answers that are conclusive and based on evidence. Without those answers, innocent men may be tainted by false accusation and the guilty may be left to repeat sins of the past.”
We renew our fraternal affection for the Holy Father in these difficult days. Please join with me in praying for all victims of abuse, especially those harmed by members of the clergy; and pray with and for Pope Francis during this difficult time as he always asks us to do. May justice be served.
In making this statement, I am joined by my auxiliary bishops, Timothy E. Freyer and Thanh Thai Nguyen.
Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, J.C.D., D.D.
Bishop of Orange in California
From Orange County Catholic.
Letter from Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix:
I have known Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò for 39 years. We became colleagues in the Secretariat of State of the Holy See in August 1979, where he had been serving prior to my entrance into this work in service to the ministry of Pope John Paul II.
Although I have no knowledge of the information that he reveals in his written testimony of August 22, 2018, so I cannot personally verify its truthfulness, I have always known and respected him as a man of truthfulness, faith and integrity. St. Paul says of priests: “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Now it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy” (1 Cor 4:1-2). That is how I have consistently found Archbishop Viganò.
For this reason, I ask that Archbishop Viganò’s testimony be taken seriously by all, and that every claim that he makes be investigated thoroughly. Many innocent people have been seriously harmed by clerics like Archbishop McCarrick; whoever has covered up these shameful acts must be brought to the light of day.
+Thomas J. Olmsted
Bishop of Phoenix
Interesting. Why do these three bishops feel compelled to serve as character witnesses for Vigano? Isn’t it a bit early for this? It would have been more prudent for them to wait until after the investigation had commenced – that is, if there is going to be an investigation! They appear to be piling on the Pope…perhaps that is their intent.
Because dozens came out immediately and smeared Vigano. The question that should be asked is why did so many prelates immediately jump to assassinate the character of Vigano before the ink was even dry on his testimony? Answer: because they will deny to their deaths to cover their own corruption.
Answer: They are all effeminate mammas’ boys. I had 3 classmates in high school who went into the priesthood. They were all QUEER. We all knew it. How did the seminaries let them in and could not see it? One served 5 years in State prison. One was confined to house arrest. The third fled to Mexico when San Francisco police tried to serve warrants on him. Of course, now it is up to the Laity to purify the church: penance, fasting, sacrifice, adoration. Do you how many youthful lives these three Homosexual Priests ruined? How many US states do we have for Grand Jury Reports?
Wilma, haven’t you learned anything from President Trump? Fight back, fight back, fight back!
I did what the Pope said (about Archbishop Vigano’s testimony), “Read the statement carefully and make your own judgment.” Part of my secular profession involves criminal investigations. The Archbishop’s testimony is astounding and he notes documentation of the claims he makes. This needs to be thoroughly investigated. Even if only half of what he states is true, the breadth and depth of depravity is appalling. It’s long past time for the homosexual subculture among bishops and priests to be exposed and “eradicated” (to use the Archbishop’s term).
Wow. We do have valiant Bishops in the USA. Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco, Bishop Vann of Orange County, Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix, the Bishop of Tulsa and Cardinal Burke. These are times to stand up and be counted. I hope Carlo Maria Viganò will be canonized one day for saving our Catholic Church by naming names.
Kristen: Our Lord Jesus Christ is my teacher and Savior. I follow him. Trump’s past (infidelities, untruthfulness and greed) as well as his current behavior are disgusting.
Thank God that evil witch Hillary was defeated in November 2016….After Kavanaugh is on the court we have shot at undoing Roe vs Wade… and gay marriage.
No, he won’t change those.
Bohemond, there may be a time when the Supreme Court overturns Roe, but not in our lifetime. It takes a longtime fora case to work its way through the state and federal court system before it gets to the Supreme Court. Bur, even if it does, the Court is not supposed to be a political branch of government, though sometimes it is hard to tell. We are a nation of laws. Laws make us a civil society, keep us in checks and balance in our lives. Court decisions are supposed to be based on the law and nothing else, not even moral jusdgement. If you want to overturn Roe,the best way is to change the law. Elect people who oppose Roe and will pass a new law. It is not the job of the court to make law.
Wilma: If Our Lord is your model, you may want to fashion a whip and drive out the money changers making a den of thieves out of the temple. Buying and selling souls via sexual perversion and the institutionalization of happy-clappy-sin-to-the-hilt makes a mockery of all that is sacred.
The Lord’s house is a house of prayer. Not perversion. That goes for heresy, too.