Some questions about the Abp Vigano testimony: He claims that Pope Benedict imposed sanctions on Cardinal McCarrick that were "similar" to what Pope Francis has now done. 1/13
Specifically, he wrote that Cardinal McCarrick was informed that he "was to leave the seminary where he was living, he was forbidden to celebrate [Mass] in public, to participate in public meetings, to give lectures, to travel." 2/13
He wrote that Pope Benedict took this action "in 2009 or 2010," though he "cannot be sure." Presuming that Pope Benedict did take this action, as Vigano describes it, how do we account for the following events, all of which occurred after 2010? 3/13
October 30, 2011: McCarrick preaches from the most prominent pulpit in the United States, at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, for the anniversary of Maryknoll. 4/13 archbalt.org/maryknoll-call…
January 16, 2012: McCarrick joins American bishops for their audience with Pope Benedict during the Americans’ ad limina visit to the Vatican. 5/13 press.vatican.va/content/salast…
That Same Day: McCarrick concelebrates mass with Cardinal Wuerl and several others in the Vatican, at the tomb of Saint Peter: 6/13 insidethevatican.com/magazine/cultu…
April 16, 2012: McCarrick attends an audience with Pope Benedict for the U.S. Papal Foundation. They present Pope Benedict with a birthday cake. McCarrick, among others, sings Happy Birthday to Pope Benedict. 7/13 catholicnewslive.com/story/21596
February 27, 2013: McCarrick attends the final general audience for Pope Benedict in Saint Peter's Square. He is seated in a prominent position, three chairs to the right of Cardinal Schonborn. 8/13 zimbio.com/photos/Christo…
That Same Day: McCarrick joins other cardinals in bidding farewell to Pope Benedict. He is warmly greeted by the pope in this video, which is broadcast by EWTN: 9/13 pbs.twimg.com/media/Dlh2cvAU…
May 10, 2013: Abp Vigano himself concelebrates a mass with Cardinal McCarrick and Cardinal Wuerl and several others just before the high profile Annual Cardinals’ Dinner in support of Catholic University. 10/13 publicaffairs.cua.edu/releases/2013/…
In each of these events, Cardinal McCarrick did things that, according to Abp Vigano's testimony, he was forbidden to do by Pope Benedict: "celebrate [Mass] in public, participate in public meetings, give lectures, travel," etc. 11/13
Benedict XVI took part in several of those events. Abp Vigano took part in at least one. Pope Benedict's actions, then, do not appear to reflect those of a man who fully knew what McCarrick had done, or the serious penalties that the Pope himself had apparently assigned. 12/13
Presuming that all of that can be answered satisfactorily, another question: If Cardinal Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) observed all of the events listed above, would he not be justified in thinking that Cardinal McCarrick was not under sanctions of the kind Vigano describes? 13/13
