UPDATED: Why I Don't Believe Archbishop Vigano

I admit that I have been skeptical of Archbishop Vigano's accusations against Pope Francis from the first time I read them.  The list of reasons for my skepticism has grown with each day.  

Archbishop Vigano's main accusation is that Pope Francis knew that former Cardinal McCarrick was a sexual predator, and turned a blind eye, lifting the secret sanctions that were imposed upon McCarrick by Pope Benedict. Vigano goes even further in accusing Pope Francis of forming an alliance with McCarrick to push the "homosexual agenda" in the Church.

There are several problems with these allegations.  

My Unabashed Support for Pope Francis

Pope Francis is under siege now in a way we have never seen any papacy attacked in modern times. The enemies of Pope Francis want him out of the papacy and they will go to almost any lengths to do it. They use every kind of invective possible against him. They accuse him of being the devil himself.

One of John Zuhlsdorf's readers asked Zuhlsdorf if it was okay to pray for the pope's death. You would think a good priest would say that we need to pray that the pope be guided by the Holy Spirit and protected from all evil forces, given the courage and ability to fulfill the duties of his office.

Nope. Zuhlsdorf did not have the least problem with praying for the death of the pope. 

Pope Benedict XVI's Secretary: Pope Benedict Never Confirmed Vigano Report

The Deacon's Bench, a blog written by fellow Brooklynite Deacon Greg Kendra, gave us some very interesting articles today regarding the Vigano report.

The first is from a German newspaper in which Pope Benedict's secretary says that the claim that Pope Benedict confirmed the statements in the Vigano report are "fake news".  You can read the original article HERE.

Is Pope Francis Evil?

On the plane from Ireland to Rome on Sunday night, Pope Francis was asked about the accusations made against him by Archbishop Vigano.  He refused to answer, simply saying:

“I read that statement this morning. I read it and I will say sincerely that I must say this, to you (the reporter) and all of you who are interested: read the document carefully and judge it for yourselves. I will not say one word on this. I think the statement speaks for itself and you have sufficient journalistic capacity to reach your own conclusions,” 

For all those looking to find Francis guilty, that is as good as an outright admission of guilt.  Surely if he was innocent, he would have said so.  Why would anyone allow themselves to be falsely accused?

As Steve Skojec wrote, "It’s an act of hubris so stunning, I can’t say I’ve ever seen anything like it."  Or as Matt Walsh wrote, as quoted by John Zuhlsdorf: "There are no flattering ways to interpret Pope Francis’ non-denial. Either he is guilty as sin or he has so much disdain and hubris in his heart that he does not think he owes anyone an explanation. "

Archbishop Vigano's Credibility Under Severe Scrutiny

The anti-Pope Francis brigade in the Catholic Church has been foaming at the mouth almost from the time the Holy Father first stepped onto the papal balcony in 2013, looking for ways to discredit him and push him out.  They are now ecstatic because they believe they have finally found that silver bullet to take down Pope Francis.  That silver bullet is Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano.  Vigano has charged Pope Francis with being complicit with the now disgraced former Cardinal McCarrick and has demanded his resignation.  Michael Voris called it a "day of victory."  Truly, that is how many felt when the Vigano memo was released on Saturday night.

The foes of Pope Francis feel they gained a further victory Sunday when the Pope refused to answer any questions in regard to the allegations made against him.  I guess these same people would have felt that the Pharisees gained a victory when Jesus Christ refused to answer their accusations against Him.

It should be noted that Vigano is also refusing to comment, but somehow that doesn't seem to be a problem with the anti Francis forces.

Cardinal Vigano Memo: Something Is Definitely Off

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, former apostolic nuncio to the United States, just released an 11-page memo accusing Pope Francis of deliberately covering up for Cardinal McCarrick and demanding the Holy Father's immediate resignation. You can read the memo HERE.

As the New York Times reports:

In a detailed, 7,000-word letter published Sunday morning by several conservative Catholic outlets antagonistic to Francis, including The National Catholic Register and Lifesite News, Archbishop Viganò alleges that much of the Vatican hierarchy was complicit in covering up accusations that Cardinal Theodore McCarrick had sexually abused seminarians.

Alarm bells start going off right here. Why did Vigano give his story to "conservative Catholic outlets antagonistic to Francis"? Hmmm.