Viganò Slams Hierarchy’s Silence on Abortion

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DETROIT (ChurchMilitant.com) - The former apostolic nuncio to the United States is calling out bishops for their culpable silence on abortion as the U.S. presidential election looms.

During an interview with LifeSiteNews published Wednesday, Abp. Carlo Maria Viganò deplored spiritually ill shepherds whose silence betrayed the Great Commission they received from God's Divine Son.

"Silence on abortion is a terrible sign of the spiritual and moral deviance in that part of the hierarchy which denies its very own mission because it has denied Christ," noted Viganò.

The Vatican whistleblower was responding to a question not only about U.S. prelates remaining silent on the pre-eminent gravity of abortion but also of those prelates like Cdl. Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, who were teaching the exact opposite. The latter occurred during a webinar in September when Tobin told Catholics they could in good conscience vote for pro-abortion Democrat Joe Biden.

The cardinal went so far as to say, "I, frankly, in my own way of thinking have a more difficult time with the other option."

Viganò admonished such complacent and complicit shepherds: "I remind my brother bishops that they were anointed with the Holy Chrism as athletes of the Faith, not as neutral spectators of the struggle between God and the Adversary."

For his part, Tobin was responding to recent courageous statements from fellow bishops and clergy, who were clear that U.S. voters should be concerned first and foremost about the pro-life or pro-death stance of each presidential candidate.

Such was the case when Fr. James Altman of La Crosse, Wisconsin in late August declared, "You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat — period."

One of Altman's few supporters amongst the hierarchy was Tyler, Texas bishop Joseph Strickland, who on Sept. 5 tweeted, "As the Bishop of Tyler I endorse Fr Altman's statement in this video. My shame is that it has taken me so long. Thank you Fr Altman for your COURAGE. If you love Jesus & His Church & this nation ... please HEED THIS MESSAGE."

Strickland again endorsed Altman in October on Virgin Most Powerful Radio. Asked if Altman would be welcome in his diocese, Strickland enthusiastically responded, "Absolutely!"

"He would be absolutely welcome here. And I'm blessed to have many priests ... who appreciate his speaking up and are trying to do their best to do the same thing," added Strickland.

But most bishops keep silent on the issue of abortion or are reticent to speak about it. Viganò encouraged these weak shepherds to join their voices with the few clerics who aren't afraid to speak out on murdering the unborn.

"I pray that the few, courageous pastors who raise their voices to defend the inviolable and non-negotiable principles which the Lord has established in natural law may be joined by those who today hesitate out of fear, timidity, or a false sense of prudence," affirmed Viganò.

Lack of pro-life voting guidance from clerics and bishops is having its toll. A poll from Pew Research Center published on Tuesday showed that 51% of all U.S. Catholics would vote or lean towards voting for fake Catholic Biden.

Latino Catholics are polling even farther Left. A survey from Claremont McKenna College in September found that 67% of Hispanics who claim to be Catholic plan to vote for pro-death Biden.

Viganò is concerned that U.S. prelates are taking their cues from Pope Francis when it comes to downplaying the moral significance of abortion on presidential platforms. The pontiff's recent 45,000-word encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, which discusses many human rights violations, neither explicitly contains the word "abortion" nor the phrase "right to life." In addition, it only mentions "the unborn" one time in passing and only decries the singular act of forcing women "to abort."

The archbishop foresees the papal encyclical won't accomplish its intended goal of furthering fraternity and brotherhood owning to its silence on abortion:

But what brotherhood could ever exist between people, if killing an innocent child is considered irrelevant? How can one condemn social exclusion while remaining silent on the most criminal of social exclusions, that of a child who has a right to live, to grow, to be loved and to love, adore and serve God and attain eternal life?

He notes that it's not charitable for pastors to allow Catholics or others to commit sins like abortion or participate in the sins of others by complicit silence.

"In order to want the good of sinful and rebellious man, it is necessary to make him understand that by distancing himself from his Creator and Lord he will end up being a slave of Satan and of himself," confirmed Viganò.

Pro-Marxist clergy and their pro-Marxist supporters — many of whom are rallying under the misleading banner "Catholics for Biden" — obscure the former vice president's support for intrinsic evils (like abortion) by equating their moral importance to those of social justice or environmental concerns.

Known as the "seamless garment" theory, this thinking was designed to confuse Catholics. It was popularized by the late Chicago cardinal Joseph Bernardin, an alleged satanist who helped set up a pipeline from South America to ordain practicing homosexuals — many of whom remain in the Church spouting heretical teaching, including support of pro-death Democrats.

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