McCarrick report: Vatican hierarchy downplayed past sex abuse reports
A long-awaited Vatican probe into ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick found that many in the Catholic hierarchy — starting with Pope John Paul II — continuously turned a blind eye to a series of red flags that he’d sexually abused children and seminarians.
The 449-page report, released on Tuesday, found that the claims against McCarrick dated back decades and that Pope Francis did nothing to cover up abuse reports. Instead, the report found, Francis had just continued handling the matter in the same way his predecessors had dating back to 1999.
It was John Paul II who appointed McCarrick the archbishop of Washington, D.C. in 2000 and eventually cardinal. That appointment, according to the report, came despite allegations the previous year that McCarrick had sexually abused altar boys.
McCarrick, 90, who was defrocked by Francis last year, denied the accusations at the time. He continues to say he is innocent of any sexual misconduct.
John Paul II, who was made a saint in 2014, has been criticized in the past by victims of clergy sex abuse for his failure to adequately respond to the crisis. The report found that John Paul II frequently believed prelates in the face of such accusations since his “past experience in Poland regarding the use of spurious allegations against bishops” was used by communists to cripple the church’s influence.
John Paul II’s decision to promote McCarrick
The investigation found that John Paul II had been duped as a result of “inaccurate and incomplete information” provided by three unnamed New Jersey bishops. At the same time, McCarrick insisted on his innocence and his denial was believed, the report found.
The McCarrick scandal erupted in July 2018 after the Archdiocese of New York reported it had substantiated a claim of sexual abuse of a minor against the former cardinal, while two New Jersey dioceses had also revealed they had settled lawsuits against him in the past involving adults.
The Vatican did not hold a news conference to coincide with the report’s release and Pope Francis has not publicly commented on its findings.
The church, meanwhile, now has to come to grips with the fact that JPII is implicated in one of its biggest and most embarrassing scandals in history.
The Holy See’s report into McCarrick was initiated in October 2018 when Francis authorized a “thorough study” of the Vatican’s archives for information about the disgraced cardinal after Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former Vatican ambassador to the United States, accused the pontiff of ignoring McCarrick’s years of sexual misconduct.
What Vigano did and didn’t do
Vigano said then-Pope Benedict XVI had imposed a series of “canonical sanctions” on McCarrick as early as 2009 and that it had been Francis who lifted them. The pope denied doing so.
The report says Vigano never took the proper steps in 2012 to highlight the abuse allegations and that Francis had never lifted sanctions against McCarrick.
“No records support Vigano’s account, and evidence as to what he said is sharply disputed,” the report said.
Vigano has yet to comment on the report.
The report, which included interviews with over 90 people, also further exonerated Francis, adding that he believed the “allegations had already been reviewed and rejected by Pope John Paul II, and well aware that McCarrick was active during the papacy of Benedict XVI, Pope Francis did not see the need to alter the approach that had been adopted.”
Indeed, the report found that Pope Benedict XVI had also failed to sanction McCarrick — and like, John Paul II, opted to believe the cleric — and as a result was allowed to continue working as one of the most powerful and influential prelates both in Rome and Washington. McCarrick, who used to refer to himself as “Uncle Ted,” rose through the ranks of the Vatican hierarchy and retired as archbishop of Washington D.C., one of the most politically powerful positions in the U.S. church, in 2006 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.
The report’s release was timed to coincide with the U.S. bishops’ annual gathering, which will take place virtually starting on Nov. 16.
Cardinals react to the report
Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, who heads the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement that the report “underscores the need for us to repent and grow in our commitment to serve the people of God. Let us all continue to pray and strive for the conversion of our hearts, and that we might follow Jesus Christ with integrity and humility.”
“This is another tragic chapter in the church’s long struggle to confront the crimes of sexual abuse by clergy,” he added. “To McCarrick’s victims and their families, and to every victim-survivor of sexual abuse by the clergy, I express my profound sorrow and deepest apologies. Please know that my brother bishops and I are committed to doing whatever is in our power to help you move forward and to ensure that no one suffers what you have been forced to suffer.”
Cardinal-designate Wilton Gregory, the current archbishop of Washington D.C., said his “heart hurts for all who will be shocked, saddened, scandalized and angered by the revelations.”
New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan was grateful to Pope Francis for bringing the matter to light, “proving that anyone who has abused a minor — even a cardinal — will be punished.”
Clemente Lisi is a senior editor and regular contributor to Religion Unplugged. He is the former deputy head of news at the New York Daily News and teaches journalism at The King’s College in New York City. Follow him on Twitter @ClementeLisi.