However, I must confess my disappointment that in his remarks on the return flight from Dublin to Rome,
the Holy Father chose a course of “no comment,” regarding any conclusions that might be drawn from
Archbishop Viganò’s allegations. Pope Francis further said expressly that such conclusions should be left to the “professional maturity” of journalists. In the United States and elsewhere, in fact, very little is more
questionable than the professional maturity of journalists. The bias in the mainstream media could not be
clearer and is recognized almost universally. I would never ascribe professional maturity to the journalism of the National Catholic Reporter, for example. (And, predictably, they are leading the charge in a campaign of vilification against Archbishop Viganò.)
Having renewed my expression of respect and filial affection for the Holy Father, I must add that during his
tenure as our Apostolic Nuncio, I came to know Archbishop Viganò both professionally and personally,
and I remain deeply convinced of his honesty, loyalty to and love for the Church, and impeccable integrity.
In fact, Arch. Viganò has offered a number of concrete, real allegations in his recent document, giving
names, dates, places, and the location of supporting documentation – either at the Secretariat of State or at the Apostolic Nunciature. Thus, the criteria for credible allegations are more than fulfilled, and an
investigation, according to proper canonical procedures, is certainly in order.
