spoiler
An Italian archbishop and staunch critic of Pope Francis has been excommunicated by the Vatican, its doctrinal office has said.
Carlo Maria Vigano was found guilty of schism - meaning he has split from the Catholic Church - after years of fierce disagreement with the pontiff.
The 83-year-old ultra-conservative has previously called on the Pope to resign, accusing him of heresy and criticising his stances on immigration, climate change and same-sex couples.
Archbishop Vigano was a senior figure in the Church, serving as papal envoy to Washington from 2011 to 2016.
In 2018 he went into hiding after alleging that the Pope had known about sexual abuse by an American cardinal and failed to act. The Vatican rejected the accusation.
Over time, the archbishop became associated with US conspiracy theorists, criticising Covid vaccines and alleging a “globalist” and “anti-Christian” project by the UN and other groups - both familiar conspiratorial themes.
On Friday the Vatican’s doctrinal office said his refusal to submit to Pope Francis was clear from his public statements.
“The Most Reverend Carlo Maria Vigano was found guilty of the reserved delict [violation of the law] of schism,” the statement said, adding that he had been excommunicated - or banished from the church.
Responding by a post on X, the archbishop linked to the decree that was emailed to him and said:
“What was attributed to me as guilt for my conviction is now put on record, confirming the Catholic Faith that I fully profess.”
Archbishop Vigano was charged with schism and denying the pope’s legitimacy last month. At the time, he write on X that he regarded the accusations against him as “an honour”.
“I repudiate, reject, and condemn the scandals, errors, and heresies of Jorge Mario Bergoglio,” he said, using Argentine Pope’s given name.
Pope Francis has put himself at odds with traditionalist Catholics by making overtures towards the LGBTQ+ community, championing migrant rights and condemning the excesses of capitalism.
Last year, he took action against another ultra-conservative critic, dismissing Bishop Joseph E Strickland of Texas when he refused to resign after an investigation.
"Accounts Payable, account number 1, 1, 1-1-1. Name: Carlo Maria Vigano… Excommunicado." [five minute scene of clandestine criminal bureaucracy]
The worst thing that happened to the John Wick franchise was when they actually showed how the underworld worked. It was more fun in the first movie when it was all left to one’s imagination and the movie focused on what it was good at: the action scenes. When they tried to flesh out the lore, it got boring.
Iunno-- I kinda liked the bureaucratic scenes if only because it lent an air of difference to your average assassination story. Like, typically, you see lone wolves, or assassin teams rarely-- but it still feels like they’re operating in full shadows. John Wick’s setup made it feel like there was an entire different society on the flipside of ours, and seeing how that bureaucracy works, getting to look into the gears and cogs, watching the clerical work happening-- it makes it feel more real; and I dig the hell out of that.
It’s kinda like the Illuminati appeal; except for assassins and hitmen.
Hotdog vendor pulls out an Uzi. Tour guide pulls out rpg launcher, his tour group converts into a battle-mech
John Wick: Where everyone is an assassin that have to pretend noone is until someone puts a coin into a coinslot
A street mime in Paris pulls out an invisible key, mimes unlocking a real trunk in his van, with a real gun inside, mimes the sign of the cross"
A Subway stand in sandwich worker reaches into a tub of lettuce and pulls out a frag grenade then clocks out
A midwife gently puts down a newborn and pulls out a desert eagle that was taped underneath the cot
A man in a straight jacket hears the call on the radio in an insane asylum, immediately drops the act, effortlessly removes the straight jacket, unlocks the door, leaves the building through the back door and pulls out throwing knives from a bush
An old fashioned milk maid finishes milking the cow, puts the bucket aside and draws a colt single action army from a hay bale
A middle aged bass guitarist playing a cover band in a dank pub in England packs up his guitar and reveals a secret compartment underneath with a full set of shuriken and katana
A deer hunter in the Bavarian countryside throws away his hunting rifle and picks up a repeating crossbow from his truck and puts on a bandolier of crossbow bolts
I love action movies. You’ve created art, you should be paid for your writing