Former Vatican Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò recently encouraged American Catholics to back former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election, calling it a moral obligation.
In a strong-worded open letter, Viganò referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as “an infernal monster who obeys Satan” and suggested that supporting her would be a “grave sin.”
Viganò described the choice as a stand between Trump, who he believes fights against the “deep state” and defends Christian values, and Harris, whom he claims represents an “anti-Catholic, anti-Christian, and anti-human” agenda.
He stated that abstaining from voting would be akin to allying with the “enemy” and urged Catholics to firmly distance themselves from what he calls a “hellish dystopia.”
The archbishop was excommunicated in July for his criticism of Pope Francis and recent reforms within the Church, yet he continues to address social and political issues publicly.
In his letter, he addressed concerns about modern cultural values in the U.S., particularly highlighting the influence of “woke” ideology and the presence of explicit content in schools, which he condemned as moral “corruption” and “indoctrination.”
According to Viganò, Trump represents “the only possible choice” to halt what he calls a “globalist coup” driven by the political left, which he claims seeks to destroy traditional Christian values.
He argued that Trump’s presidency would affirm the reign of “Christ as King” in America, while he claimed Harris and her supporters aim to serve the “Antichrist” and bring about social chaos.
His letter contains references to numerous conspiracy theories, including the “deep state,” calling the last presidential election “the fraud of 2020” and suggesting that world governments engineered climate change “to make the global warming fraud credible.”
The former archbishop of Ulpiana also touched on hot cultural issues in the United States like “woke” ideology and sexually explicit material being taught in public schools, which he called “dens of indoctrination and corruption from kindergarten onwards.”
Viganò further depicted Harris as a “puppet” of influential figures like George Soros, former President Obama, and Hillary Clinton, who, he asserts, shape her policies.
In light of his assertions, a recent Pew Research poll indicates that Trump currently leads among Catholic voters, with 52% support compared to 47% for Harris.
Viganò’s fervent endorsement has fueled debate within the Catholic community, highlighting divisions over the Church’s role in political matters.