Editor’s Note: Since the Vatican News Service is under the direction of the Secretary of State, it is indeed notable that Cardinal Parolin should publish this article, so as to get his own comments on record, as one who is trying to be fair to both sides in this dispute, Pope Francis and Archbishop Viganò.
Meanwhile, the Society of St. Pius X has made it clear (here) that they hold Viganò to be a sedevacantist for saying that Pope Francis is not pope because of a defect in his own intention in accepting the papacy.
This judgement against the Italian Archbishop by the Society’s report, however, is wrong, since such a position is not a form of sedevacantism: an ideology which claims there is no pope so as to have a Church without any principle of hierarchical or juridical authority.
Likewise, the Italian Archbishop is not a schismatic, because to claim a Pope has no authority due to his own heresy or a defect in his election, is not an act of schism, but a juridical complaint, which merits to be judged on its own grounds. The Vatican is attempting to parse his words, so that they can condemn him for saying the Pope has no authority, and ignore his assertion that there was a defect in Pope Francis’ being elected.
