Ethan Walker
Ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was the first American prelate in history to resign from the Sacred College of Cardinals in 2018. He was removed from the priesthood in 2019 after being found guilty of sexual crimes against adults and minors. McCarrick was accused of sexually abusing teenage boys and young men between the 1970s and the early 21st century. The Catholic Church continues to grapple with the fallout from the scandal, which has sparked demands for accountability and reform. While McCarrick's case is significant, it is not an isolated incident, as evidenced by the conviction of Australian Cardinal George Pell for child sexual abuse and the sex abuse allegations against other Catholic leaders.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ordained | 1958 |
| Appointed Archbishop of Washington | 2000 |
| Made Cardinal | 2001 |
| Retired | 2006 |
| Accusations of sexual abuse | 1970s-2000s |
| Resigned from College of Cardinals | 2018 |
| Removed from Priesthood | 2019 |
| Found guilty of sexual crimes against adults and minors | 2019 |
| Vatican report on accusations released | 2020 |
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What You'll Learn
McCarrick's resignation from the College of Cardinals
McCarrick was ordained as a priest in 1958 and became an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1977. He then became Bishop of Metuchen in 1981 and served as Archbishop of Newark from 1986 to 2000. He was appointed Archbishop of Washington in 2000 and was made a cardinal in 2001. McCarrick was a prolific fundraiser and was connected to prominent politicians. He was considered a power broker in Washington, D.C.
In 2018, a credible allegation of repeated sexual misconduct towards boys and seminarians was lodged with the Archdiocese of New York. McCarrick was removed from public ministry, and the following month, The New York Times published a story detailing a pattern of sexual abuse of male seminarians and minors by McCarrick. This led him to resign from the College of Cardinals, making him the first U.S. cardinal in history to resign from the college.
On July 27, 2018, Pope Francis ordered McCarrick to observe "a life of prayer and penance in seclusion" and accepted his resignation from the College of Cardinals. McCarrick was not laicized (removed from the priesthood) at the time, pending the completion of a canonical trial. However, in 2019, he was found guilty of sexual crimes against adults and minors and abuse of power and was dismissed from the clerical state. He was defrocked and became the first U.S. cardinal or bishop defrocked by the Vatican.
The Vatican's handling of the allegations against McCarrick has been the subject of scrutiny. In 2020, the Vatican released the McCarrick Report, which concluded that many high-ranking church officials who knew of the accusations, including Pope John Paul II, had not acted effectively. McCarrick's case sparked demands for accountability and reform in the Catholic Church.
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McCarrick's removal from the priesthood
In 2000, Pope John Paul II learned of allegations of sexual deviancy against McCarrick while considering him for the position of Archbishop of Washington. An investigation was launched, but it was paused after three of the four bishops tasked with investigating provided "inaccurate and incomplete information." John Paul II decided not to appoint McCarrick but changed his mind after receiving a letter from McCarrick proclaiming his innocence.
In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI placed severe restrictions on McCarrick's movements and public ministry, but these sanctions were later removed by Pope Francis, who made McCarrick "his trusted counsellor."
In June 2018, McCarrick was suspended from ministry after a credible allegation of repeated sexual misconduct towards boys and seminarians was lodged with the Archdiocese of New York. The following month, The New York Times published a story detailing a pattern of sexual abuse of male seminarians and minors by McCarrick, leading him to resign from the College of Cardinals.
In February 2019, McCarrick was found guilty of sexual crimes against adults and minors and abuse of power and was dismissed from the clerical state. He was removed from the priesthood by Pope Francis, who recognized the "'definitive nature' of the decision made by the Vatican. McCarrick's case sparked demands for accountability and reform in the Catholic Church, with many calling for greater involvement from lay Catholics in identifying, investigating, and responding to allegations of impropriety within the Church.
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McCarrick's criminal charges and court appearances
McCarrick was charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14. The charges stemmed from an incident in 1974 when he allegedly sexually assaulted a 16-year-old boy during a wedding reception at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. The victim, who is now in his 60s, alleged that McCarrick groped him during a walk around the campus and then sexually assaulted him in a "coat room type closet" after they returned to the reception.
McCarrick, who was defrocked and removed from public ministry by Pope Francis in 2018, pleaded "not guilty" to the charges during his first court appearance in September 2021. He posted a $5,000 bail and agreed to stay away from children until the trial.
In August 2023, a Massachusetts judge ruled that McCarrick was unfit to stand trial due to dementia, and the case against him was dismissed. McCarrick's lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian, a well-known attorney for clergy sexual abuse victims, expressed discouragement at the prosecution's decision. Despite the dismissal of criminal charges, McCarrick still faces civil lawsuits in New Jersey and New York, indicating that the legal repercussions of his actions are not yet fully resolved.
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McCarrick's mental incompetence to stand trial
Former Roman Catholic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial in Wisconsin, resulting in the suspension of the case. This decision was based on a psychological report assessing McCarrick's mental health, conducted by health professionals hired by both his and the state's legal teams. The report, which was originally filed with the court in November, has not been made available to the public.
McCarrick, a former archbishop and cardinal, resigned from the Sacred College of Cardinals in 2018 after numerous allegations of sexual abuse of teenage boys and young men. He was later removed from the priesthood. The accusations, spanning from the 1970s to the early 21st century, resulted in a flurry of lawsuits and criminal charges of sexual assault, to which McCarrick pleaded not guilty.
The Walworth County District Attorney, Zeke Wiedenfeld, stated that if a defendant is found incompetent to stand trial, the case must be suspended indefinitely. However, if the defendant is later deemed competent, the case can resume. This ruling in Wisconsin echoes the results of psychological exams conducted in Massachusetts, where McCarrick was also facing charges of child sexual abuse. The Massachusetts case was dismissed on August 30, 2023, due to McCarrick's incompetence.
McCarrick's case has sparked demands for accountability and reform within the Catholic Church. The Vatican released the McCarrick Report in 2020, which detailed the Church's handling of the allegations. The report concluded that many high-ranking church officials, including Pope John Paul II, failed to act effectively despite being aware of the accusations.
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McCarrick's progressive Catholic supporters
Within the Catholic Church, McCarrick was generally regarded as a champion of progressive Catholics. McCarrick's supporters included Pope Francis, who appointed him to travel the globe on his behalf after his mandatory retirement in 2006. Pope Francis was also one of five US bishops named to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis, all of whom had close connections with McCarrick.
McCarrick's progressive supporters also included Bishop McElroy, who was elevated to Cardinal in 2022. McElroy's supporters include the chief correspondent for America Magazine, who tweeted in support of his elevation. Rembert Weakland, Archbishop of Milwaukee from the late 1970s until 2002, was another darling of the Catholic Left. Despite being exposed for paying $450,000 in diocesan funds to prevent a lawsuit by his gay lover, his image remained untarnished among progressive Catholics.
While McCarrick's progressive supporters are not explicitly named, it is clear that he had the support of many high-ranking church officials, including Pope John Paul II, who promoted him to Archbishop of Washington despite knowing of the allegations against him. This suggests that McCarrick's progressive supporters were influential in the Catholic Church and willing to overlook his misconduct.
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Frequently asked questions
Ex-cardinal McCarrick was accused of sexual misconduct with adult male seminarians and minors.
McCarrick resigned from the College of Cardinals in 2018. He was then found guilty by the Church of sexual crimes against adults and minors and abuse of power, and was dismissed from the clerical state in 2019. McCarrick was the first cardinal to be removed from the priesthood, also known as defrocked or laicized.
McCarrick's case sparked demands for accountability and reform in the Catholic Church. It also led to the release of the McCarrick Report in 2020, which investigated the Vatican's handling of the allegations.
McCarrick faced criminal charges of sexual assault and was involved in several lawsuits. However, a judge ruled in 2024 that he was not competent to stand trial due to dementia.
