New US Bishops’ President Distances Himself from Viganò

Quote:“I didn’t know Archbishop Viganò other than what I knew of him from walking these halls here at bishops’ meetings. He was always a gentleman, he was always supportive, he always showed an interest in how things are going in our dioceses.

My comments when he was initially being criticized, and allegations being leveled against him, were meant to convey that that certainly has not been my experience of the man. And I just didn’t want to jump to conclusions before all of the information was available.

So I think, in retrospect, I think a lot more about his views became apparent in subsequent months and years, which I could certainly not support or countenance. But I didn’t have that information.

I didn’t know him in that way, what his views were, when I made those comments, which have been thrown back in my face numerous times subsequently and used against me.

I was simply trying to protect the reputation of a man who I knew to be a churchman who had served the conference of Catholic bishops here in the United States admirably and faithfully. I didn’t know him in any other way.”