Vigano will be Nuncio to the U.S. (Catholic Caucus)

Vatican Insider ^ | August 26, 2011 | MARCO TOSATTI

[NYer]

Carlo Maria Vigano
Secretary General of the Governorate of the Vatican City State State of the Vatican City (Holy See)

The new nuncio to the United States, after the death of Pietro Sambi, which occurred a few weeks ago, is Carlo Maria Viganò, currently Secretary General of the Governorate, the body that manages the State of Vatican City. On August 13 the Secretary of State communicated to him via personal letter that it was Benedict XVI's desire that he represent the Holy see in Washington. The letter, which emphasized how the pope's choice was motivated by the need to have a person of value in one of the most important and delicate nunciatures, when the race for the presidential elections in the United States would begin, was a response to a letter from Viganò himself, where the prelate from Lombardy emphasized instead that it was not his desire to go overseas.

The exchange of letters is the last act of a power struggle that has lasted for months. When the hypothesis began to circulate that Viganò would replace Cardinal Lajolo as president of the entity that manages the small city-state, much criticism was heard from various offices of the Curia. And when asked, even Cardinal Lajolo had to admit to having some reservations regarding the character of his closest collaborator. The criticism has made inroads, it seems, in the opinion of the Pope. It was then offered to Viganò, according to well-informed sources, to abandon the idea of the Governorate, and become responsible for Economic Affairs, at whose guidance, which is in imminent end, is Cardinal Velasio De Paolis. But it seems that the Varese prelate, who is from the diplomatic ranks (he served in various nunciatures) responded with a blunt refusal: either the Governorate or nothing.

The Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who initially tried to help Viganò, has changed opinion in the face of his hardening of position. This change has brought about, among other things, Vigano's unconcealed wrath against Bertone. It was at this point that the Washington hypothesis was born and became concrete. Meanwhile, if predictions are confirmed, the position of President of the Governorate will go to the current nuncio in Italy, Giuseppe Bertello, at the end of September. The appointment should take place on September 29. It seems that the Pope, however, has been very negatively impressed by this whole story, as he has been by developments of the State-bishops-Benedictines dispute in Croatia.

[NYer]

Ping!

[Steelfish]

I found Pietro Sambi’s thick accent too hard to follow the TV Masses when he served from the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. I hope when the Vatican sends someone to DC he is very articulate and is a strong conservative antidote to the DC Bishops and will rein in the excesses of the Jesuit universities. Respectfully, the late Bishop Sambi was ineffective in this regard.