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Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò responded to the death of Pope Francis with a scathing critique of the late pontiff’s leadership and doctrinal positions.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a longtime critic of Pope Francis, issued a searing statement Monday following the announcement of the pontiff’s death, accusing him of serious offenses against the Catholic Church and warning of the consequences he believes await the late pope.
Viganò, who was excommunicated in July 2024 for alleged schism, did not hold back in his denunciation of the deceased leader.
Throughout Francis’s papacy, Viganò condemned the pope’s support for open borders, globalist initiatives like the World Economic Forum, and positions he viewed as destructive to traditional Catholic teachings.
He had previously spoken out against COVID mandates and voiced concerns about election integrity worldwide, actions that led to heightened tensions with the Vatican hierarchy and ultimately his formal separation from the Holy Catholic Church.
In his latest remarks, Viganò referenced a 2018 interview in which Italian journalist Eugenio Scalfari attributed controversial statements to Pope Francis regarding the afterlife.
According to Scalfari’s report, Francis purportedly said, “Sinful souls are not punished: those who repent obtain God’s forgiveness and join the ranks of souls who contemplate him, but those who do not repent and cannot therefore be forgiven disappear. There is no hell, sinful souls simply disappear.”
Responding to these comments, Viganò asserted, “These heretical ravings are directly opposed to the Catholic Faith, which teaches us that there is a particular Judgment for everyone, which Bergoglio could not escape.”
He continued, “His soul has therefore not disappeared, nor has it dissolved: he will have to account for the crimes he has committed, first of all having usurped the throne of Peter in order to destroy the Catholic Church and loose so many souls.”
Viganò warned that although Pope Francis is no longer able to act against the Church, those he appointed remain.
“His heirs still remain, the subversives whom he has invalidly created ‘cardinals’ and who have long been organizing themselves to ensure a continuator of the synodal revolution and the destructuring of the Papacy,” he said.
He also criticized conservative Cardinals and Bishops who he said failed to challenge Francis’s legitimacy, arguing that they share responsibility for the outcome of the forthcoming conclave.
Archbishop Viganò’s statement reflects the deep divisions within the global Catholic community that emerged during Pope Francis’s tenure.
His commentary arrives as the Vatican prepares to organize the conclave that will elect the next pontiff.
The full text of Viganò’s remarks was shared via his official social media account, accompanied by a reference to Scalfari’s reported interview and a reiteration of his longstanding theological critiques.
"There is no hell, sinful souls simply disappear.”
If he actually said this then he has realized by now that this statement is totally false. Of course, God is a merciful God. That is a blessing for all of us. I have added him to the Memorial page for the Holy Souls, who I pray for twice daily, as well as offer situations up that I suffer throughout the day.
Devotion to the souls in Purgatory contains in itself all the works of mercy, which supernaturalized by a spirit of faith, should merit us Heaven. de Sales
