The Vigano report and the Kim Davis distraction

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Sep 03, 2018

Pope Francis asked journalists to investigate the charges in the Vigano testimony, and draw their own conclusions. That’s fair enough—although it’s certainly surprising that the Vicar of Christ would not at least deny participating in what would amount to a repudiation of his own professed principles.

The Pope’s most aggressive allies, however, have done their best to discourage reporters from following up on the Vigano charges, instead offering a menu of potential distractions: Was Archbishop Vigano allied with the Pope’s conservative critics? Was he a disgruntled former employee? Did he engage in a cover-up himself? Was he at odds with his siblings? Was he unkind to the family pets? (And wasn’t someone recently warning against going down rabbit-holes?)

Now the acidic Father Rosica, the most ferocious critic of the Pope’s critics, has latched onto an ideal distraction: Kim Davis. If Archbishop Vigano can be linked with Davis—a woman who was mercilessly criticized by the American secular media—then maybe reporters will run away with that story-line, forgetting the original content of the Vigano testimony. So Father Rosica, joined by the former papal spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, have told the world that Pope Francis was unhappy with Archbishop Vigano for arranging a meeting with Davis.

But wait. Fathers Rosica and Lombardi do not say (as others have claimed) that the Davis meeting was a surprise for the Pontiff. On the contrary, they report that the Pope had been briefed, and knew who Davis was. The Pope’s complaint, they say, is that Archbishop Vigano had not reported on Davis’ own marital history: her four husbands.

But again, wait. Why should the Holy Father be dismayed about meeting a woman who has had four husbands? Isn’t this the Pontiff that encourages us all to “accompany” the people in irregular marital situations?

Secular reporters found it very easy to take pot shots at Kim Davis, mocking her accent and her looks and her marital history and her Appalachian background. If they take the hint from Fathers Rosica and Lombardi, they can now run with the story that Archbishop Vigano is an ally of Kim Davis, and forget about the substance of his charges.

But let’s not forget: Kim Davis was savaged in the mainstream media—and then suggested by Archbishop Vigano as a candidate for papal support—because she refused to put her name on a document that she believed to be false. If Catholic bishops showed the same determination not to betray the truth, we wouldn’t be where we are today.