KEY POINTS

  • Over 450 pages of investigation from the Vatican reveal that the highest levels of church leadership was aware of sexual abuse allegations against former Washington Archbishop Theodore McCarrick
  • Pope John Paul II knew for at least two decades before McCarrick's eventual public downfall and defrocking, ignoring them after a personal letter from McCarrick and appointing him to still more powerful positions
  • Pope Francis largely escapes condemnation, with the report saying he was only generally aware of the allegations' existence and that his predecessors had taken care of the matter

An explosive report from the Vatican details how church leaders systematically dismissed accusations of sexual abuse against Theodore McCarrick, former archbishop of Washington, who was defrocked in 2019.

It’s an indictment of the judgment of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, although Pope Francis largely escapes criticism, reports the Washington Post.

Over 450 pages of investigation detail how church officials buried complaints and reports of sexual abuse even as McCarrick was considered for high-powered senior roles within Rome’s hierarchy. As early as 1999, Pope John Paul II was made aware of the allegations that McCarrick had shared a bed with young seminarians with whom he could not possibly receive consent as equals.

This photo taken and handout on July 8, 2020 by the Vatican Media shows Pope Francis celebrating the Eucharist during a mass at the Santa Marta chapel in The Vatican, marking the 7th anniversary of his visit to Lampedusa on July 8, 2013.
This photo taken and handout on July 8, 2020 by the Vatican Media shows Pope Francis celebrating the Eucharist during a mass at the Santa Marta chapel in The Vatican, marking the 7th anniversary of his visit to Lampedusa on July 8, 2013. VATICAN MEDIA / Handout

The consistent allegations led church leadership to pass over McCarrick for positions, but a personal letter led Pope John Paul II to appoint him Archbishop of Washington. This misstep is particularly galling for the church to admit since John Paul II was named a saint in 2014.

“Pope John Paul II became ‘convinced of the truth’ of McCarrick’s denial,” reads the report.

Pope Benedict XVI also shares some criticism, as he was aware of the allegations but wanted them handled out of the public spotlight to spare the church’s reputation. Instead of dismissing McCarrick, they requested that he retreat from public life and travel. McCarrick did neither, and his position allowed him to donate increasing amounts of money both to charity and directly to the church officials reviewing accusations against him.

Former pope Benedict XVI, right, pictured with his brother Georg Ratzinger at the Vatican in 2012
Former pope Benedict XVI, right, pictured with his brother Georg Ratzinger at the Vatican in 2012 OSSERVATORE ROMANO / -

Pope Francis is seen as largely unaware of the allegations, stating only that he knew of their general existence and that his predecessors had handled the matter. In 2018, however, growing numbers of credible accusations and finally a report by the New York times made McCarrick’s sexual abuses more or less public. McCarrick stepped down and was defrocked a year later after internal investigations.

Still, the report has not been enough to silence the church’s critics. Anne Barret Doyle, co-director of abuse-tracking tool BishopAccountability, acknowledged that it was “the most significant document on the abuse crisis to come from the Church” but said she was skeptical of Pope Francis’ clean bill of health.

“Plausible deniability must end for popes and bishops,” she told the Post. “They are responsible for reading the abuse files and for correcting the negligent or complicit acts of their predecessors.”

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