Rome — For the last two years, the disgraced former papal nuncio to the United States, Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, has touted a range of COVID-19 conspiracy theories, while rarely being directly challenged by top leadership in the U.S. hierarchy or in Rome.
But for Italy's military chaplain, however, the confusion has become too much. In a new letter, Italian Archbishop Santo Marciano, has said basta — enough! — with the misinformation.
"Recently, there was a missive in which a bishop, a former apostolic nuncio, known for his conspiratorial remarks, urged disobedience," wrote Marciano in a letter dated Jan. 31.
Marciano's two-page letter came after Viganò told members of the military to defy the country's mandatory vaccination requirements. He also appeared, via video link, at an anti-vaccination rally last month.
The former nuncio, who in 2018 called for Pope Francis' resignation, has previously said COVID-19 does not exist. During the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Viganò also wrote a series of broadsides in support of President Donald Trump and espoused a number of QAnon conspiracy theories.
The rogue archbishop has been in hiding since his 2018 call for the pope's resignation, but regularly provides commentary and interviews for traditionalists and fringe right-wing Catholic media organizations. Both in the U.S. and at the Vatican, many church leaders have opted for a strategy of ignoring his outlandish claims rather than provide them further oxygen.
But...
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