In a significant move, the Vatican has excommunicated Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, known for his anti-LGBTQ+ and ultraconservative views, and for calling Pope Francis “a servant of Satan.” The Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s disciplinary body, put Viganò on trial last month for denying the pope’s authority and committing the “crime of schism.” Now, the dicastery has announced his excommunication. The dicastery stated, “His public statements manifesting his refusal to recognize and submit to the Supreme Pontiff, his rejection of communion with the members of the Church subject to him, and of the legitimacy and magisterial authority of the Second Vatican Council are well-known.” During his tenure as the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S. from 2011 to 2016, Viganò made headlines when he extended an invitation to Kim Davis to meet with the pope. Davis, as the clerk of Rowan County, Kentucky, had garnered attention for halting all marriage license operations following the 2015 Supreme Court ruling on nationwide marriage equality, specifically to avoid issuing licenses to same-sex couples. Viganò’s excommunication is a sign of a positive change for the LGBTQ+ faith community.
