In the midst of the horrendous sex-abuse scandals, Archbishop Carlo Vigano (former nuncio i.e. papal ambassador to the United States), published an 11-page letter accusing Pope Francis himself of grave wrongdoing and calling for his resignation. The Pope has declined to comment on the claims. This has ignited a firestorm of blog posts, articles, tweets, and Facebook arguments as people speculate on the matter.

I have a couple thoughts about this:

First, as it stands now, the truth is ambiguous. Is the Pope guilty? Is Vigano lying? Are his claims truly what he knows or are the speculations coupled with embellishment? Did Pope Francis know about Cardinal McCarrick’s deviance all along?

I don’t know. And I don’t think a lot of regular Catholics out there know either, despite the defense or condemnation of Pope Francis. What’s the truth here? That is the most important question. Without answering that question, we can only spit back and forth with rhetoric and speculation like the political media loves to do. Yes, that type of stuff can get ratings.

It’s more interesting to run the headline, “Pope Francis EXPOSED as a fraud!” or “Vigano’s VENGEFUL Allegations PROVEN false!” than it is to run the headline, “Journalists continue to search for the truth about Pope Francis and Vigano.” But, the latter is true at the moment. At least as I see it.

Bishop Barron

Brandon Vogt recently conducted a very important interview with Bishop Robert Barron. I’m embedding it below. He hammers home the importance of not getting sidetracked by wild speculations and sticking to the all-important question: what’s the truth here?

He calls for an independent investigation of the entire scandal, led by the laity. I second this call. I think we should all emphasize to our pastors and bishops that we want an investigation because we want to know the truth.

Pray for Pope Francis & Vigano

Catholics can and should pray for Pope Francis in the midst of ambiguity, even if the situation is less comfortable. Think of it this way. Either Pope Francis is guilty of wrongdoing or he has been falsely accused of wrongdoing. 

If he is guilty, then he needs our prayers so that he repents, turns to God, confesses his wrongdoing, and is restored to a state of grace such that he will enter the beatific vision when he dies. Moreover, we need his restoration to set the Church on a path of truth and justice.

If Pope Francis has been falsely accused, then he needs our prayers to comfort him during a dark time. On this supposition, bloggers and reporters continue to unjustly tarnish his papal legacy on a daily basis. He finds his influence in the Church and the world unfairly diminished, and it will be difficult any for credibility to be restored.

In either case, he remains our Holy Father and needs our prayers. St. Paul told Timothy, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). 

Prayer in Ambiguity

What might such a prayer look like? Here’s one suggestion I wrote this morning.

Lord, we pray for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, that you tell him exactly what he needs to hear most right now. That you guide him in the direction of truth and justice, that he will do what is best for the Church. If he lacks sanctifying grace, restore him. If he possess sanctifying grace, increase it. Show all of us, your children, how we can best serve the Church at this time.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Also, the rosary is not a bad idea.