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U.S. NEWS Thursday 2 augusT 2018

U.S. bishops: Sex claims

show U.S. cardinal's

'moral failure'

By GILLIAN FLACCUS vative Catholic magazine
The president of the U.S. First Things urged Catholics
Conference of Catholic to withhold donations to
Bishops said Wednesday the U.S. church until an in-
that sex abuse allegations dependent investigation
against former Cardinal determines which U.S. bish-
Theodore McCarrick dating ops knew about McCar-
back decades raise serious rick's misdeeds — a "nucle-
questions about how the ar option" aimed at making
claims could stay secret for church members' sense of
so long as the retired arch- betrayal heard. In Penn-
bishop from Washington, sylvania, a Roman Catho-
D.C., rose in prestige and lic diocese on Wednes-
power. day identified 71 priests
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo and other members of the
said the allegations against church who had been ac-
his former colleague reveal cused of child sex abuse
a "grievous moral failure" and said it was holding ac-
and urged anyone who countable the bishops who
has experienced sexual led the church for the past
abuse at the hands of the 70 years, announcing that
church to come forward. their names will be stripped
DiNardo reminded bishops from all church properties.
in the United States to take McCarrick, the Washing-
those reports seriously and ton archbishop from 2000
contact the police when to 2006, was previously
required. one of the highest, most
"Both the abuses them- visible Catholic Church of-
selves, and the fact that ficials in the United States
they have remained un- and was heavily involved In this March 4, 2015, file photo, Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick speaks during a memorial
disclosed for decades, in the church's yearslong service in South Bend, Ind.
have caused great harm response to allegations of Associated Press
to people's lives and rep- priest abuse. Pope Fran-
resent grave moral failures cis ordered the 88-year- him for the next 20 years.
of judgment on the part of old removed from public McCarrick has denied the
church leaders," he said in ministry on June 20 after a initial accusation but has
a statement. church panel determined not responded to the sec-
"One way or another, we that allegations he sexu- ond one. At the time of Mc-
are determined to find the ally abused a teenager Carrick's June removal, the
truth in this matter," said in New York more than 40 New Jersey archdioceses
DiNardo, who is also the years ago were "credible of Newark and Metuchen
archbishop of Galveston- and substantiated." The for- revealed that they had re-
Houston, in Texas. mer altar boy alleged that ceived three complaints
The statement comes as McCarrick, then a priest, from adults alleging mis-
church officials deal with fondled him during prepa- conduct and harassment
abuse issues anew, more rations for Christmas Mass by McCarrick and had
than a decade after the at St. Patrick's Cathedral in settled two of them. Pope
biggest mass clergy abuse 1971 and 1972. Since then, Francis then accepted Mc-
settlements in U.S. history another man identified Carrick's resignation on July
and the release of tens of only as James has come 28, effectively stripping him
thousands of documents forward, saying that Mc- of his cardinal's title, and or-
that were long sealed in Carrick first exposed himself dered him to live a lifetime
priest personnel files. to him when he was 11 and of penance and prayer
In an open letter Tuesday, then engaged in a sexually pending the outcome of a
a contributor to the conser- abusive relationship with canonical trial.q