Pope Francis waves after delivering his traditional Christmas Day Urbi et Orbi speech to the city and the world from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, December 25, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/Yara Nardi

Nearly 60 years after the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, Catholics continue to disagree about modernism within the church, and the conciliar reforms. The current pope is a passionate supporter of Vatican II, and he has paid special attention to the call for interfaith dialogue and the dignity of all people, including marginalized people.

One of the most vocal opponents of modernism, and especially of Pope Francis, is retired Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò. A former Apostolic Nuncio to the US and secretary-general of Vatican City, Archbishop Viganò consistently opposes the pontiff’s overtures to other faiths and marginalized groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community.

But Viganò often takes his opposition to the modern church further, veering into antisemitism and anti-LGBTQ animus — ideologies that can cause real harm to the people upon whom he casts aspersions. Despite his official retiree status, he routinely shares these ideas in several traditional Catholic publications, including Catholic Family News, LifeSiteNews, The Remnant, and Crisis magazine — all of which have significant followings on social media.

Archbishop Viganò frequently traffics in antisemitic dog whistles that sometimes verge into more overt antisemitism. For example, he has suggested that a “modernist Sanhedrin” is behind the pope’s purported desire to separate Traditionalist Catholics from the official church. In using the term “Sanhedrin,” an ancient Jewish judicial body, Viganò invokes a fringe belief among Traditionalist Catholics that Jews have secretly infiltrated and corrupted the Catholic hierarchy — a charge that is antisemitic and false.

Viganò has invoked antisemitic tropes on many other occasions. He has used the Jewish financier George Soros as a boogeyman, blaming him for causing the war in Ukraine. For many antisemites, Soros is a symbol of the alleged global control and financial power of world Jewry.

Similarly, Viganò has claimed that Mario Draghi, a former prime minister of Italy, was appointed by the “globalist cabal,” another allusion to the supposed power of Jews around the world. These notions of subversive Jewish power have deep roots but are especially famous as the subject of the fabricated document known as the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion.”

Viganò’s words have the potential to reinforce existing antisemitic beliefs and incite Jew hatred.

Moreover, Viganò does not confine his hate and opposition to Pope Francis and his outreach to Jews; rather, Viganò is also opposed to rights for LGBTQ+ people, and he uses his many platforms to spread this message. He has proclaimed his distaste for the idea that the pope’s Synod on Synodality will include “sodomites,” a reference to the fact that Pope Francis is considering blessing same-sex unions.

In fact, as a result of his opposition to Francis’s modernizing agenda and outreach to marginalized communities, Viganò has wondered “if the Antichrist is seated on the throne of Peter.”

To be sure, many of Viganò’s beliefs that are hostile to the Vatican are legitimate doctrinal disagreements about modernism that date back to Vatican II. His relatively recent embrace of extreme conspiratorial and antisemitic language, however, presents a menace to Jews and LGBTQ+ people, and threatens to turn back the clock on Vatican II teachings. Catholics, and all concerned individuals, should be aware of his dangerous rhetoric.

Because Viganò’s voice is a constant presence in Traditionalist Catholic circles, including the 659 Latin Mass parishes in the United States, his ideas may diffuse outward and permeate the borders of mainstream Catholicism as Traditional Catholics share information with their communities. Awareness of Viganò’s ideas and a steadfast dedication to supporting the efforts of Pope Francis to recognize the dignity of Jews and LGBTQ+ people will go a long way toward stemming the tide of Viganò’s influence.

Laura Weinstein is an antisemitism analyst at the Anti-Defamation League. She holds a PhD in History.