The new world order: The Apocalypse in which we are living

By Carlo Maria Viganò

Without a doubt, the past few years have witnessed the emergence on the scene of communication in the ecclesiastical sphere – and elsewhere – the figure of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, as a voice of both denunciation and appeal, not only with regard to the corruption and cultural and spiritual poverty present in today's ecclesial world, at every level, but also in world society and politics.
Both his life story as well as the process by which this revelation has taken place are quite unique.  Carlo Maria Viganò is a priest who was directed after his ordination, which took place in 1968 in Pavia, to undertake a diplomatic career. He served as Nuncio to Nigeria, and then as Delegate for the Pontifical Representations in the Secretariat of State (a very delicate task, since the confidential details of the personal dossiers of prelates and bishops passed before his eyes). He was then Secretary for the Governorate of the Vatican City State, and finally Apostolic Nuncio toto Washington, certainly one of the six most prestigious posts for any diplomat, whether in cassock or in civilian dress.
Certainly those who are sent as Nuncio to the heart of the Empire gain a perspective of extraordinary breadth and depth; it allows one to scrutinize the mechanisms of world power, the obvious motives – and also the hidden ones – which underly choices and decisions. It is from this wealth of experience and knowledge, which very few can boast of, that the recent public presence of Carlo Maria Viganò was born. An entire career and a priestly life spent in the necessary discretion linked to his professional obligations and role was suddenly overturned. In the summer of 2018 – not even four years ago – Archbishop Viganò makes the sensational gesture of revealing cover-up and complicity that allowed then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick to carry out those abuses that finally led to the condemnations he has suffered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chorabooks
• Release date: Apr 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9791222021454

Book preview

PREFACE

Marco Tosatti

Without a doubt, the past few years have witnessed the emergence on the scene of communication in the ecclesiastical sphere – and elsewhere – the figure of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, as a voice of both denunciation and appeal, not only with regard to the corruption and cultural and spiritual poverty present in today's ecclesial world, at every level, but also in world society and politics.

Both his life story as well as the process by which this revelation has taken place are quite unique. Carlo Maria Viganò is a priest who was directed after his ordination, which took place in 1968 in Pavia, to undertake a diplomatic career. He served as Nuncio to Nigeria, and then as Delegate for the Pontifical Representations in the Secretariat of State (a very delicate task, since the confidential details of the personal dossiers of prelates and bishops passed before his eyes). He was then Secretary for the Governorate of the Vatican City State, and finally Apostolic Nuncio toto Washington, certainly one of the six most prestigious posts for any diplomat, whether in cassock or in civilian dress.

Certainly those who are sent as Nuncio to the heart of the Empire gain a perspective of extraordinary breadth and depth; it allows one to scrutinize the mechanisms of world power, the obvious motives – and also the hidden ones – which underly choices and decisions. It is from this wealth of experience and knowledge, which very few can boast of, that the recent public presence of Carlo Maria Viganò was born. An entire career and a priestly life spent in the necessary discretion linked to his professional obligations and role was suddenly overturned. In the summer of 2018 – not even four years ago – Archbishop Viganò makes the sensational gesture of revealing cover-up and complicity that allowed then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick to carry out those abuses that finally led to the condemnations he has suffered.

It seems right to me to recall the steps which led to this point, which are fundamental for understanding what happened later. I am aware I am repeating myself, but repetita iuvant – repeating does good – and not everyone is aware of what I have already testified.

The story of the Viganò dossier, and all that followed, began for me one morning at the end of July 2018. A friend called me, asking me if I had read an article, on a website that follows the Vatican, closely linked to the Secretariat of State, concerning the McCarrick affair, the cardinal accused in civil courts of abusing a minor many years ago, He was consequently punished by the Vatican, which took away his red hat and sent him to live a retired life of prayer and penance – this after years of traveling all over the place as an unofficial ambassador. I hadn't read the article yet; the friend had got to it before me. Archbishop Viganò will call you, he told me: he is outraged by the allusions they are making to the two nuncios who preceded him, and who are dead and thus can no longer speak; and also by those made against Benedict XVI, who had punished McCarrick. I had met Carlo Maria Viganò a few times, at social events; he was an aquaintance, nothing more. The friend told me that he followed Stilum Curiae, and it seemed to him that I could be the right person to do an interview, because of the freedom with which I am able to address Church matters. Why not? I replied.

And so a couple of days later the former Nuncio to the United States called me. We agreed to meet at my house in Rome. He showed up one morning, and I told him everything was ready, showing him my recording device. No, not yet, he said – first I want to tell you a story. We sat down, and he told me everything you later read in his first testimony. Finally I asked: so shall we do the interview? Not yet, he replied, I have to put some personal affairs in order first. Let’s be back in touch in the coming days.

Some time passed, and as the Report of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury came out, in which there was also extensive talk of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, one of the reigning Pontiff’s right-hand-men in the USA. I took the initiative to call him. Did you see that the Grand Jury Report came out? If you're still going to do that interview, maybe this is the right time. He replied, See you next week.

We met again at my house; and he immediately said, I decided to write something, instead of doing an interview. Do you want to read it? We read the text together, a couple of times, making an essential editing, to clarify terms and concepts to non-specialists, and to cut some superfluous passages. Then it was necessary to choose the Italian newspaper in which to publish it; I thought of La Verità, because I had esteem for publisher Maurizio Belpietro and it seemed to me that he was one of the few newspapers that would not give the heads up to the Vatican by sounding the alarm ahead of time. He agreed; I called Belpietro, whom I did not know, explained the situation to him and he said he was happy to publish the testimony. The archbishop also wanted to release it in English and Spanish; he knew Edward Pentin and spoke with him. For Spanish I made contact with Gabriel Ariza of Infovaticana. It took a few days to do the translations (it was more than ten pages of text).

We met on August 22 [2018]; we decided it would come out four days later, at 7:00 on Sunday morning [August 26]. We said goodbye. I asked him where he would go. He replied that he would disappear, and that he would not tell me where, so that I would not be forced to lie, if they asked me. That afternoon I was not at peace until I had sent the text to those who were to receive it. It was a heavy responsibility. The embargo was for 7am on Sunday, but there was a detail I had not considered. At midnight on Saturday night, RAI shows the front pages