One of America’s most prominent Catholic cardinals has resigned after an allegation was made that he sexually abused a teenage boy almost 50 years ago. Allegedly, the abuse started when the boy was 11 years old, and continued for two decades.
Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, wrote to the Vatican offering his resignation on Friday, which was accepted by Pope Francis.
'A statement from the Vatican issued on Saturday read: "Yesterday evening the Holy Father received the letter in which Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington (USA), presented his resignation as a member of the College of Cardinals.
"Pope Francis accepted his resignation from the cardinalate and has ordered his suspension from the exercise of any public ministry, together with the obligation to remain in a house yet to be indicated to him, for a life of prayer and penance until the accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonical trial."
Mr McCarrick, 88, was ordained in 1958 and rose through the ranks in the Archdiocese of New York before being installed as archbishop of Washington in 2001, a post he held until 2006.
He is officially retired but continues to travel abroad regularly, speaking on issues such as human rights.
The allegation related to Mr McCarrick’s time in New York.
The claim was investigated for the New York archdiocese by a group of jurists, law enforcement experts, parents, psychologists, and religious figures.
The group judged that the allegations were “credible and substantiated”. Mr McCarrick was removed from public ministry on June 20.
Mr McCarrick said in a statement at the time that he was “shocked” by the report and maintained his innocence. He also said he had co-operated with the investigation.
“My sadness was deepened when I was informed that the allegations had been determined credible and substantiated,” he said in the statement.
Mr McCarrick added: “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.”
At the time senior US church officials said they had received three allegations of McCarrick's sexual misconduct with adults decades ago, two of which resulted in settlements.
A Catholic University canon law expert, Kurt Martens, noted that this was the first time an order of penance and prayer had been issued before a church trial could take place.'
Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/28/pope-accepts-us-cardinals-resignation-sexual-abuse-claim/
Details about the alleged abuse:
'Two weeks ago, a man from Virginia filed a police report Monday, alleging that from the age of 11 he was sexually abused and assaulted serially by now-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who was a priest of the Archdiocese of New York when the abuse was alleged to have begun.
The New York Times reported July 19 the man’s allegation, that McCarrick began sexually abusing him in 1969, when the priest was 39 and the man, “James,” whose full name has not been reported, was 11 years old. McCarrick was reportedly a friend to the alleged victim’s family.
The man says that he continued to be sexually abused by McCarrick for almost two decades, the Times reported.
The man claims that the abuse contributed to alcohol and drug habits that plagued him for years. He also says that he attempted to disclose the abuse to his father several years after it began, but was disbelieved, according to the Times.'
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/new-sexual-abuse-allegations-leveled-against-cardinal-mccarrick
Criminal statutes of limitation may prevent McCarrick from being charged with crimes relating to the abuse alleged Monday. A canonical statute of limitations, known technically as prescription, might also preclude the possibility that McCarrick face canonical charges for the alleged abuse, although the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is authorized to waive that statute in certain circumstances.
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[–] think- [S] 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Grateful, as always. ;-)