Weekly News Roundup: Pro-Life Battles, Priestly Celibacy in Jeopardy, Archbishop Viganò Speaks Again

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In this week’s episode, CFN Editor-in-Chief Brian McCall and Managing Editor Matt Gaspers discuss the following news items:

Battles on the Pro-Life Front
- “French Senate Passes Controversial IVF Bill” (CNA, Jan. 25)
- “Judge Allows Student Group’s Abortion Lawsuit to Progress Against Notre Dame” (CNA, Jan. 28)
Priestly Celibacy in Jeopardy: Professor de Mattei Reveals Portion of Leaked Document
- Renowned Catholic historian and author Roberto de Mattei reveals a portion of the forthcoming post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis which “several bishops” shared with him.
- According to the leaked text, Pope Francis proposes that “criteria and dispositions be established by the competent authority…to ordain as priests suitable and respected men of the community with a legitimately constituted and stable family, who have had a fruitful permanent diaconate and receive an adequate formation for the priesthood…” — in essence, a reiteration of paragraph 111 from the Amazon Synod final document.
New Explosive Statement from Archbishop Viganò
- Towards the end of December 2019, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Angelo Sodano as Dean of the College of Cardinals.
- Last week Saturday (Jan. 25, 2020), the Vatican announced the election of a new Dean and Vice-Dean of the Sacred College — Their Eminences Giovanni Battista Re and Leonardo Sandri, respectively — with the approval of Pope Francis.
- According to Archbishop Viganò, Cardinal Sandri — a longtime subordinate and close associate of Cardinal Sodano in the Secretariat of State — is guilty of helping to cover up the crimes of serial abuser Fr. Marcial Maciel (founder of the Legionaries of Christ) under Sodano’s direction.
- Moreover, Viganò alleges that Sandri’s appointment as Vice-Dean “has been prepared ad hoc to pilot the next conclave secundum Franciscum, that is, according to an updated and augmented edition of the St. Gallen Mafia.”
- The continuing rot in the Roman Curia is discussed by Matt Gaspers in his latest article for CFN.