The response of Cardinal Marc Quellet to Archbishop Vigano’s second testimony will, no doubt, be examined in detail for what it tells us of reaction to the accusations in the Bergoglio camp.

In truth, whilst in part supporting Vigano’s assertion that some form of discipline had been applied to ex-cardinal McCarrick, factually it tells us very little. The letter has gone through the usual Vatican vetting process (‘With pontifical permission, and in my capacity as Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops’) and will no doubt prove to be a part of a dip-feed of information designed to confuse and ultimately to bore the non-specialist observer.

Readers of this blog, however, would be well-advised to weigh every piece of information which emerges – in what is likely to be a long-drawn-out procedure – against the three categories outlined in I’ve got you under my skin below:

Does it seek to discredit Vigano?
Does it portray Francis as a pious and holy innocent?
Is it inimical to a free and independent investigation of the facts?