Archbishop Vigano switches to Bishop Williamson's camp

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano (82), former nuncio in the USA and a radical conservative critic of Pope Francis for years, has apparently joined the sedevacantists. Several traditionalist blogs report that he has already had himself re-consecrated as a bishop "sub condicione" in 2023 by the English bishop Richard Williamson (83), who was expelled from the Society of St Pius X. The episcopal consecration "sub condicione" assumes that the previous episcopal consecration (Vigano was consecrated bishop in 1992) was possibly invalid.

Williamson belongs to the radical wing of traditionalists who consider Pope Francis to be a heretic and illegitimate pope. Some of them believe that the See of Peter has been vacant since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). They are therefore referred to as sedevacantists. Williamson was consecrated in 1988 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the Society of Saint Pius X, and was expelled from this community, which is not recognised under canon law, in 2012. Although the latter rejects central resolutions of the Council, it nevertheless considers all popes after Pius XII to be legitimate.

It is unclear what role Vigano aspires to within the traditionalist spectrum. Italian observers speculate that the "Collegium traditionis" he founded in Viterbo near Rome, which is still in the process of being established, could soon play a similar role to Lefebvre's seminary in Econe, Switzerland, in the 1970s. Last year, Vigano also founded the traditionalist aid organisation "Exsurge Domine" based in Rome. It bears the name of the papal bull of excommunication against Martin Luther from 1520 and is intended to help bring different traditionalist groups closer together. (KNA)