To be candid, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano was not known to many traditional Catholics a few years ago, as he never publicly took an interest in the traditional Latin Mass or the problems with the Second Vatican Council. Then Jorge Bergoglio, after a couple years of blind obedience from the Catholic center-right beginning in 2013, finally had the effect of separating the Wuerls from the men. A strong coalition was formed, uniting conservative and traditional Catholics to defend the Church's teachings against someone who clearly opposes them. The Francis Effect -- it keeps on giving.
Archbishop Vigano's latest letter -- responding to a recent piece by Bishop Athanasius Schneider -- is perhaps his most traditional to date, ranging from criticism of Vatican II to the many traditions discarded in recent years. Notable, however, is his strong entry into liturgy, which has not been a focus from the archbishop until now:
If we have a liturgy that is Protestantized and at times even paganized, we owe it to the revolutionary action of Msgr. Annibale Bugnini and to the post-conciliar reforms.
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The greatest affront of that Pontificate [Benedict XVI] was liberally permitting the celebration of the venerated Tridentine Liturgy, the legitimacy of which was finally recognized, disproving fifty years of its illegitimate ostracization. It is no accident that Bergoglio’s supporters are the same people who saw the Council as the first event of a new church, prior to which there was an old religion with an old liturgy.
Toward the end of the piece Archbishop Vigano even implies liturgical reforms in place by 1962 were too liberal (a growing sentiment among traditional Catholics, with which we strongly agree). Whomever the archbishop has been working with lately, we hope it continues.
Two days before the above letter, on Trinity Sunday, the archbishop wrote a letter to President Trump. In it, among several subjects, a carefully worded reply regarding DC Archbishop Wilton Gregory's political statement was made. This evening, the president of the United States tweeted Archbishop Vigano's letter.
