Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Theodore McCarrick on Saturday, seeing the prominent cardinal and former archbishop of Washington, D.C., step down amid a furor of sex abuse allegations.
The American Catholic Church in June deemed credible an accusation that McCarrick abused a teenager about 50 years ago, and since then multiple other accusers have come forward. McCarrick denies all memory of the situation involving the teenager and has not commented on the other allegations.
Other cardinals who have been similarly accused have retained their office and title amid church discipline. In this case, McCarrick will remain a priest but will not be permitted to say public Mass. The pope ordered him into seclusion "for a life of prayer and penance until the accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonical trial."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Friday approved publication of a 900-page grand jury report on more than 300 "predator priests." The grand jury will name the priests in question and "describe their conduct in terms of 'what they did — both the sex offenders and those who concealed them[,] . . . shin[ing] a light on their conduct, because that is what the victims deserve,'" the report says. However, some of the names will be redacted.
-
Delhi's dogs earn Supreme Court reprieveIN THE SPOTLIGHT After an outcry from the public and animal rights activists, India's Supreme Court walks back a controversial plan to round the city's stray dog population into shelters
-
8 hotels with ace tennis courtsThe Week Recommends Bring your A game
-
Abrego released from jail, faces Uganda deportationSpeed Read The wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego García is expected to be detained at an ICE check-in and deported to Uganda
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
