VATICAN CITY — Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, a vehemently conservative critic of Pope Francis, has been officially found guilty of schism and subsequently excommunicated, as announced by the Vatican’s doctrinal office on Friday.

Vigano, who served as the papal envoy in Washington from 2011 to 2016, retreated from public view in 2018 after alleging that the pope had knowledge for years of sexual misconduct by U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick but failed to take action.

In his accusations, Vigano not only demanded the pope’s resignation but also branded him a “false prophet” and a “servant of Satan.”

The Vatican vehemently denied Vigano’s accusations of a cover-up regarding sexual misconduct and recently summoned him to answer charges of schism and for rejecting the authority of Pope Francis.

In a statement released on Friday, the doctrinal office underscored that Vigano’s public statements unequivocally demonstrated his refusal “to recognize and submit” to Pope Francis. Furthermore, it highlighted Vigano’s dismissal of the legitimacy of liberal reforms implemented by the Roman Catholic Church during the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

“At the conclusion of the penal process, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano was found guilty of the reserved delict (violation of the law) of schism,” the statement declared, confirming his subsequent excommunication from the Church.

In response, the 83-year-old Vigano remained resolute, publishing the full text of the decision against him on the social media platform X. The decision cautioned him that persisting in his stance could result in his expulsion from the Roman Catholic priesthood.

Quoting from the New Testament, Vigano urged Catholic faithful to rally behind him, stating, “If they keep quiet, the stones themselves will start shouting.”

The Vatican’s ruling bore the signatures of Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernandez, head of the Doctrine of the Faith office, and Father John Joseph Kennedy, its secretary. While customary for such declarations not to bear the pope’s signature, it is widely presumed that Pope Francis sanctioned the disciplinary measures.

Vigano, who primarily communicates through the X social network, declared last month that he declined to participate in the disciplinary proceedings, rejecting the legitimacy of the institutions overseeing them.

“I do not recognize the authority of the tribunal that presumes to judge me, nor of its Prefect, nor of the one who appointed him,” Vigano asserted, referring to Fernandez and Pope Francis.

In a detailed statement, Vigano persistently referred to the pope exclusively by his surname, “Bergoglio,” accusing him of advocating for an “inclusive, immigrationist, eco-sustainable, and gay-friendly” Church that he argued had strayed from its authentic teachings.

Pope Francis has faced criticism from numerous conservatives for extending gestures toward divorcees and the LGBT community, prioritizing mercy and forgiveness over strict adherence to Catholic doctrine.

Additionally, the pope has clashed with traditionalists and conservatives by championing migrant rights, combating climate change, and condemning the excesses of capitalism.

Last year, Pope Francis took disciplinary action against another prominent arch-conservative critic from the U.S., dismissing Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of Tyler, Texas, after he declined to resign voluntarily following a Vatican investigation.