US Cardinal Removed Amid Allegations That He Sexually Abused a Minor
(CNN) -- Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who led the Archdiocese of Washington and was a political force in the nation's capital, said on Wednesday that he has been removed from public ministry by the Vatican because of a decades-old allegation of sexual abuse.
As a cardinal, McCarrick is one of the highest-ranking American leaders in the Catholic Church to be removed from ministry because of sex abuse charges. He maintains his innocence.
"While I have absolutely no recollection of this reported abuse, and believe in my innocence, I am sorry for the pain the person who brought the charges has gone through, as well as for the scandal such charges cause our people," McCarrick said in a statement.
McCarrick said he was informed several months ago that the Archdiocese of New York, where he was a ordained a priest in 1958, was investigating an allegation of abuse from a teenager "from almost fifty years ago." The cardinal said was "shocked" by the report but cooperated with the investigation.
The Archdiocese of New York, which led the investigation, said it would not release specific details about the allegation to protect the victim's privacy. But the archdiocese said a review board composed of jurists, law enforcement experts, parents, psychologists, a priest and a religious sister found the allegations against McCarrick to be "credible and substantiated."
The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, "at the direction of Pope Francis," instructed McCarrick that he is no longer to exercise his priestly ministry in public, said the Archdiocese of New York.
"As clergy in God's church, we have made a solemn promise to protect children and young people from all harm," Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement. "This sacred charge applies to all who minister in the church, no matter the person's high standing or long service. This morning was a painful reminder of how only through continued vigilance can we keep that promise."
McCarrick, who led the Archdiocese of Washington from 2001-2006, was known as a genial and effective advocate for the Catholic Church's political priorities, particularly focusing on the plight of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. As the leading Catholic in Washington, he hobnobbed with presidents and other powerful figures, earning a reputation as someone who could work with both parties.
As a cardinal, McCarrick participated in the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned in 2013.
But McCarrick, 87, said, "I will no longer exercise any public ministry." The Catholic Church has used removal from public ministry to discipline clergy who are credibly suspected of sexual abuse. It basically means that McCarrick is not allowed to perform priestly functions, like celebrating Mass, in public.
McCarrick said he accepted this decision from the Holy See, though another bishop said McCarrick plans to appeal his case through the church's canonical process.
McCarrick, who lives in a retirement home in Washington, could not be immediately reached for comment. A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Washington said he is "not giving interviews" and referred a reporter to the statements from McCarrick and the archdiocese.
"While saddened and shocked, this archdiocese awaits the final outcome of the canonical process and in the meantime asks for prayers for all involved," the Archdiocese of Washington said in its statement.
The Archdiocese of New York said "the matter is now in the hands of the Holy See," which has the final say in determining the outcome for the once-powerful cardinal.
"This could range from living a life of prayer and penance, to a dismissal from the clerical state," the Archdiocese of New York said.
McCarrick plans to appeal his case through the Catholic Church's canonical process, said Bishop James F. Checchio, of Metuchen, New Jersey, where McCarrick was a bishop from 1982-1986.
The Archdiocese of New York said that no other credible accusations of abuse have been made against McCarrick.
Two dioceses in New Jersey, however, where McCarrick was a bishop, said "there have been allegations that he engaged in sexual behavior with adults."
"This Archdiocese and the Diocese of Metuchen received three allegations of sexual misconduct with adults decades ago; two of these allegations resulted in settlements," Cardinal Joe Tobin of the Archdiocese of Newark said. Checchio said the same in his statement on Wednesday.
"While Cardinal McCarrick maintains his innocence and the canonical process continues, we must put first the serious nature of this matter with respect and support for the process aimed at hearing victims and finding truth," Tobin said.
The-CNN-Wire
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