A highly anticipated Vatican report found on Tuesday that Pope John Paul II had rejected explicit warnings about sexual abuse by Theodore E. McCarrick, now a disgraced former cardinal, choosing to believe the American prelate’s denials and misleading accounts by bishops as he elevated him to the highest ranks of the church hierarchy.
As Washington’s archbishop, Mr. McCarrick was one of the most powerful leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, a media darling and prodigious fund-raiser with deep connections in the Vatican. But he became the highest-ranking American official to be removed for sexual abuse when the pope kicked him out of the priesthood in 2019.
Given Mr. McCarrick’s long career — as a priest in New York, archbishop of Newark and a Washington cardinal with a national and international profile — the 449-page report had the potential to engulf three separate papacies in scandal. Since the abuse carried out by Mr. McCarrick became public in 2018, conservative critics have accused Francis of covering up the American’s misconduct.
But the investigation, commissioned by Francis, who had promised to “follow the path of truth wherever it may lead,” largely absolved the current pope. Instead, it put fault chiefly with Francis’ conservative predecessors, emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, and in particular Pope John Paul II — elevated to sainthood since his death — who believed Mr. McCarrick’s denials of the allegations of sexual misconduct and promoted him….
The above comes from a Nov. 10 story in the New York Times.
Read the full 2018 letter of Archbishop Vigano on his attempts to notify Pope Francis of the McCarrick scandal.
Um, I don’t see how Francis can be blamed for what happened before he became pope. Come on. Non-story. Francis is not a good pope, but he’s not responsible for everything bad in the church, especially not for what McCarrick was doing in the 70s, 80s and 90s, nor is Francis responsible for promoting McCarrick to Washington, DC nor to cardinal. You want truth? Be truthful and acknowledge truth. I don’t like Francis, but I won’t let that get in the way of affirming truth. Francis is had almost nothing to do with McCarrick. That’s that. That’s the truth.
The blame game begins but the problem is homosexual clericalism.
Aha. . .the previous leadership fell into the same trap many other Bishops did in the US sex abuse scandal.
Any chance for an independent, lay organization to conduct an investigation?
Three bishops lied to Pope John Paul II about McCarrick. According to the Vatican’s report: The bishops presenting false information were Hughes, Smith, and McHugh. There were concerns brought to the then-Pope’s attention by Cardinal O’Connor and others, but after three fellow bishops vouched for McCarrick, who swore he did nothing wrong, the Pope proceeded with his appointment. And, in Eastern Europe, the Communists often started rumors of clergy being homosexuals when they wanted to get rid of them. Tragically, the Pope was quite familiar with those false allegations and it seems he did not take all such allegations brought to him seriously enough. That said, there is no mention that the predator prelate was brought out of “retirement”/exile by Pope Francis or of his making a Cardinal out of Farrell, who lived with McCarrick for a number a years (and had no suspicions?!), not to mention making Tobin and Gregory cardinals, who all seem to be part of the same “old boys network.” And, Argentine authorities want Bishop Zanchetta for sex and financial crimes, yet Francis gave him a position at the Vatican while he awaits trial! Blame a dead man. He can’t dispute your claims or defend himself. The Vatican seems still involved in coverup and the truth may not be clear until Judgment Day, but it will be made clear, as the Scriptures repeatedly teach.
Oh please…the New York Times? A credible source for this topic? That’s like asking a Londoner what the Yankees chances for a pennant are…really CCD? How’s about we start with this instead?
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-11/mccarrick-report-secretary-state-sexual-abuse-minors-church-pope.html
Caption correction: there were no strict canonical sanctions imposed on McCarrick by Pope Benedict XVI.
And let’s not forget that Pope Francis has elevated many men to Bishops & Cardinals who are sympathetic to the homosexual agenda even though the majority of abuse involved teenage boys & young men. Maybe we can give the benefit of the doubt to the former Popes for not being aware of it but in my view, Pope Francis can’t claim ignorance.
This McCarrick report was prepared by Cardinal Parolin!
And, the Vatican’s own news agency features U.S. responses by Cardinals Tobin, Gregory and Cupich!
Could the Vatican produce a report with less credibility?!
Why didn’t the Vatican ask for American responses by Cardinal Burke or Archbishops Chaput or Cordileone or Bishop Strickland?
(For those of you in Rio Linda, that was a rhetorical question. Most know the answer.)
Yes, we know the answer. We also know why David Dinkins, Mario Cuomo and others went after John Cardinal O’Conner for refusing to give his approval of a homosexual pride section in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, as even this report said that Cardinal O’ Conner was one of the first ones to disapprove of putting McCarrick in a higher position.
We all know what the word “to bork” means, well now you will know what the word “to pell” means (what they did to Cardinal Pell). Now they have “pelled” St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, the Polish secretary of John Paul II and Viagano, but some of us “ain’t” buying it.
I’m with Kevin T on this. During the years that Pope John Paul II ran the Church, McCarrick was not the only bad bishop or priest. I know a former Legion of Christ priest, who has since left the priesthood. When Cardinal Dziwisz was made a bishop, the reception was at their seminary in Rome. He served at the main table. Maciel was in his glory. Pope John Paul II was there as a guest to honor Dziwisz. When you look at the priests, bishops and cardinals beyond McCarrick and Maciel, like Bernardin, Roach, Weakland, and so many others, what is the explanation? If Pope John Paul really did not know, then he was very ill served by those around him. Those living should be fired and those dead should be publicly shamed. This former priest said to me, “I am sure Dziwisz and others received monetary gifts from the likes of McCarrick and Maciel. The report seems to verify this. The people should be able to see that list.
It seems that many of our top Church leaders have historically lacked good Moral Consciences, and true dedication of their lives to Jesus Christ!
Franklin Graham courageously publicly criticized Pope Francis for his un-Christian remarks in support of “gay civil unions.” Franklin’s father, Billy Graham, famously refused to either join or establish a church– preferring evangelism instead, pitching a big tent and preaching straight from the Bible! He always said that in his experience, established churches always tended to get ruined, somehow, by human weakness and sin. So, he decided to just be independent– preaching a personal commitment to Christ, and the straight, Biblical truth– and living it, each day. Our Archbishops used to ask all the Catholic churches to pray for conversions, when Graham’s Crusades came to town. Converts at the altar calls were referred to local good, Bible-based churches to join– both Catholic and Protestant– to grow in their new Faith.
Anon. – From your post it seems you are either already a protestant or inclined to become one. If you think the Catholic Church is ruined, follow your heart but continue to seek God. As for me and my house…
Sorry, Kristina, you missed the whole point! Other Christians courageously defend Christ! Our Church should do likewise! That’s all! And no, I am not a “Protestant!”
Whom does Francis serve?
uh, i don’t get it
this report from the francis-vatican
say JP II was a slacker and asleep
at the switch. resulting in vast moral evil
why then francis-vatican be in such a big
heat to canonize this “slacker” pope this
info MUST have been considered in his
cause for canonization ???
Pope Francis kind of “shot himself in the foot” with that one. Did he not? and is trying to get the bullet out now.
On the other hand, maybe he deliberately outsmarted them all, to get the culprits to come into the light.
On the other hand, maybe Bishop Rene Gracida, on his “Abbyssum Abyssus Invocat” website, has been right all along.
Just putting all those “scenarios” out there for contemplation. Hope I did not confuse everyone too, too, much.
Sorry, Kristina, you missed the whole point! Other Christians courageously defend Christ! Our Church should do likewise! That’s all! And no, I am not a “Protestant!”
Anne TE:
i’m with you 100% re: Rene Gracida,
retired bishop of Corpus Christi, TX
one of the few Good Shepherds left
Well one can never accuse Bishop Gracida of cowardice, and another thing — he says what he means and means what he says. If ever there was a battle, I would want him on my side.
God bless him.
My last post was in answer to Helen Wheel’s post today at 1:12 pm.
I very much enjoy reading whatever Abp. Vigano has to say. Recently, I listened to (and also read the text) of his long, excellent address at the recent (Oct. 26th) Catholic Identity Conference 2020. His English is very good, easy to understand, too. He is an outstanding Church leader! I very much appreciate him!
Thank you for posting this. I was glad to see that he was healthy.