Archbishop Theodore McCarrick has begun his life of prayer and penance at St. Fidelis Capuchin Friary in Victoria, Kansas, according to statements from the Diocese of Salina and the Archdiocese of Washington.
McCarrick was sentenced to a life of prayer and penance by Pope Francis July 28, pending the completion of a canonical process against him, after he was credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor. After the accusation became public, he then resigned from the College of Cardinals in July, becoming the first American cardinal ever to step down.
It also came to light that the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Metuchen had previously reached out-of-court settlements with several adult men who alleged they were sexually abused by McCarrick during their time as seminarians.
Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, Bishop Gerald L. Vincke of Salina, and Father Christopher Popravek, the provincial of the Capuchin Friary in Denver, made the arrangements to house McCarrick for his potentially indefinite stay.
While living in prayer and penance, McCarrick will be forbidden from any sort of public appearances or ministry. Bishop Vincke said that the diocese will not be incurring any costs for housing McCarrick, and that he requests privacy “out of consideration for the peace of the community” at the friary.
In a letter to the Diocese of Salina entitled “Why I said ‘Yes’,” Vincke explained that he received a phone call from Cardinal Wuerl Sept. 13 asking if McCarrick could be moved to St. Fidelis Capuchin Friary. At this point, Wuerl had already received the agreement of the Capuchin provincial superior.
“I realize this decision will be offensive and hurtful to many people,” said Vincke.
The decision to host McCarrick was neither taken lightly nor was it easy, Vincke said.
“I also believe in mercy. In saying ‘yes,’ I had to reconcile my own feelings of disappointment, anger and even resentment toward Archbishop McCarrick,” he explained.
“I had to turn to Christ for guidance. Jesus is rich in mercy. He did not come to give us permission to sin, he came to forgive our sins.”
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
Kansas school didn’t know Cardinal ousted over sex abuse would be living next door
Officials at a grade school in a rural Kansas town were stunned Friday to learn that a former Catholic cardinal — who stepped down in July over allegations that he sexually abused seminarians and minors — was now living next door.
Former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington is residing at St. Fidelis Friary in Victoria, Kan., within a block of Victoria Elementary School.
“I was never made aware of it until I found out through social media,” said Kent Michel, superintendent of USD 432 and also principal of Victoria Elementary.
When asked if the school had notified parents, Michel said, “I’ll be getting with my board. I really don’t have a comment on it right now.”
Full story at KansasCity.com.
I’m not familiar with the friary where McCarrick is going. But if the reports are true, I suspect that he’s perp who spent an entire lifetime honing his craft of manipulating and seducing young men. He’s an expert who is politically well connected. I don’t think a Capuchin friary is well suited for this type of individual.
A monastic convent of discalced Carmelite nuns might be the best place for him. Such kind women don’t put up with crap.
Isn’t the whole thing bad enough without subjecting people to what you “suspect”? That’s nothing better than accusing someone of crimes that you have absolutely zero evidence for. In other words, you are bearing false witness against your neighbor when you “suspect” horrible things in a public forum.
Anonymous,
I felt that I was being charitable by using the word “suspect” because it allows for more ambiguity. If you want to get down to brass tacks about information in the public domain, please let me know and I’ll elaborate.
I dont know if “Anonymous” Oct 1, 2018 9:13am is uninformed, but certainly seriously underinformed, that the credible evidence from many reliable sources, including the nephew of Card. McCarrick who says “Uncle Ted abused me”, as well as the copious data collected by Abp. Vigano which P. Francis decided to disregard—the overwhelming testimony of many reliable witnesses—this credible evidence is overwhelming against McCarrick, and hardly “absolutely zero evidence.”
So what. Look at what is near the place where Uncle Teddy is serving his life sentence of prayer and penance. It is like placing a practicing alcoholic next to a liquor store:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/church-didnt-tell-grade-school-before-moving-abuser-mccarrick-next-door-pri
I hope the FBI visits him, interrogates him, and that federal charges are brought against him. Then he can do prayer and penance in prison. The financial dealings of the multi-million dollar foundation he started and ran are murky and questionable. It looks like crimes were committed by the board of directors.
Big mistake! I am so sorry for all the families in this small town– and all their students in nearby schools! And I am so sorry, for all the monks, in the monastery.
Uncle Teddy belongs on a desert island with just bread and water and a pair of Rosary Beads. Even that would be too good for such an evil man. God have mercy on him.
Who picked this place? An accused sexual predator around the corner from a grade school and about a mile from a high school. This does not make sense.
Like a 90 year-old is going to walk around the neighborhood and try to seduce teenage boys, or even be successful if he tried. Come on. Get a grip. Rather than focusing on the schools, better to check his computer and browsing history.
Pope Francis enabled him in the first place after Pope Benedict had banned him. Disgusting.It has wounded the Church in America.
But Benedict can’t remember what he did or said with respect to McCarrick. He is only “said” to have “banned” him. In actual fact, Benedict DID nothing, and McCarrick carried on missions throughout the world during the time that both Benedict and Vigano were in power. Francis is the one who took action…and only after Vigano was fired. Maybe Vigano just feals guilty for having been a totally ineffective nuncio or for not doing enough?
There is a matter of the Omerta “silence” within the Church business. Vigano had help getting the story out of the church by people who don’t believe in the “Omerta”. This reminds me of “The Godfather” story, however, street thugs aren’t “faithful members of the church”. They are just thugs.
Church officials still covering for and protecting this predatory criminal at the expense of everyone else. It is amazing how much power this creep still has with Church officials and how they are afraid to just say NO to him. He should be in jail in solitary confinement for the rest of his life.
What a joke! More of the same. SMH.
Apparently the East Coast belief that the State of Kansas is a vast wasteland in which no one lives, figured into this decision.
He will be in immediate contact with 1200 people in Victoria, over 20,000 people 15 minutes away in Hays and 1 hour away from 40,000 in Salina. Not to mention numerous smaller towns in the area.
How the Franciscan Order has devolved into the “lavender” in the past 40 years, my guess is that he will be perfectly comfortable with his own.
I agree with Joe in San Jose. Better to monitor his computer.
These guys can’t stop. He’ll hang himself.
Years ago enemies of the Church proposed bringing a RICO case against the Church. It sounded far-fetched then but now? I’m afraid the hard times for the Church and all of us have just begun.
Feel sorry for the whole community of Victoria, KS, but also for the Capuchin Franciscans, who likely took on this assignment of McCarrick, because of their traditional dedication to a life of penance and mortification: perhaps they thought they might spiritually assist him and this might be solution to the McCarrick quandary.
…An understatement to say this is going to be a challenge.
Mercy is there as always. Let’s just pray for that