Pope orders 'thorough study' of Vatican papers on disgraced cardinal

Pope Francis has authorized a "thorough study," the Vatican said Saturday, of all its documents pertaining to the sexual abuse allegations against Theodore McCarrick, a prominent cardinal and former archbishop of Washington, D.C., who resigned in July.

An August letter from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano alleged McCarrick's misconduct with seminarians was known in Catholic hierarchy for years, and that Francis removed sanctions against him despite this knowledge. The letter called for Francis himself to resign.

The pope initially refused to comment on Vigano's charge. By permitting an examination of the paper trail, the Vatican said, Pope Francis has determined to "follow the path of truth, wherever it may lead."

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Read The Week's Matthew Walther on McCarrick and the Catholic Church's broader sexual abuse scandal here.