ATTENTION: SITE ARCHIVED
You are viewing an archived site.
I created this website to catch friends and family up to speed as news continued to break through September. It serves as a primer up to that point in the news cycle.
Due to other research demands, namely the completion of my degree, I was not able to keep this log up-to-date beyond that. The site has been placed on hold and archived for that reason. It provides a good picture of the initial wave of reports and allegations, which have now swept tragically even further through the Church hierarchy. Major news on this issue continues to unfold on a weekly and even daily basis. I urge you to follow the cycle yourself through the myriad online news outlets I reference here that have been vigilant on this soul-scaring scandal.
Scroll down to read the archived log, which consists of a summary of major developments from June to September.
MCCARRICK ACCUSATIONS CREDIBLE, SETTLEMENTS HAD BEEN REACHED
June 20
The Archdiocese of New York announced June 20 that it had found abuse allegations involving a minor against Cardinal Theodore McCarrick "credible and substantiated." The same day, the dioceses of Newark and Metuchen, where McCarrick was stationed following time in New York, announced that they had received accusations of sexual misconduct with adults from "decades ago," and two of the three had resulted in settlements. The Vatican ordered McCarrick into a life of "prayer and penance" while canonical procedures were undertaken. McCarrick said he would comply "in obedience" but said he had "no recollection" of the abuse.
McCarrick was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York 1958. He became auxilary bishop in that city in 1977, and in 1981 was made Bishop of Metuchen. In 1986, he was elevated to Archbishop of Newark, NJ, and in 2001 became a cardinal along with his appointment as Archbishop of Washington, D.C. Retired in 2006, he was seen as a leading figure in the American Church during his long career, and traveled the world doing charitable work, giving speeches, and meeting with leading politicians and Church leaders.
Relevant statements
Statement from the Archdiocese of New York
Statement from the Archdiocese of Newark
Statement from the Diocese of Metuchen
Statement from the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C
Relevant reporting
AUSTRALIA'S ARCHBISHOP PHILIP WILSON SENTENCED FOR COVER-UP
July 2
A little over a month after being found guilty, Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide, Australia was sentenced to a year of detention for covering up child abuse by Fr. Jim Fletcher in the 1970's. Archbishop Wilson is the highest-ranking prelate to be convicted in a cover-up case.
The Australian Church in recent months has faced calls to violate the seal of confession when a penitent reveals a case of sexual abuse, and various territories have passed laws dictating such. The Australian government had concluded a five-year investigation into the Church's handling abuse in late 2017.
In June 2017, Cardinal George Pell, former archbishop of Melbourne and Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy in the Vatican, was ordered to stand trial for abuse allegations in his home country. He denied the allegations and was granted leave by Pope Francis to return home for the trial.
Relevant reporting
NYT INTERVIEWS "UNCLE TED'S" VICTIMS, TRACES HIERARCHICAL KNOWLEDGE
July 16-19
The tension around the Cardinal McCarrick case elevated in mid-July when the New York Times took on the story, interviewing victims in two different pieces. The reports that demonstrated many clergy had known about McCarrick's misconduct with seminarians and young priests for years, and revoltingly, they told how McCarrick had asked to be called "Uncle Ted" by men he groomed. He had often invited them to private outings at a NJ beach house (purchased by the diocese at his request) and arranged to share rooms with victims. The victims' stories ranged from awkward massages to discovering the then-archbishop having sex with a priest. One of McCarrick's earliest victims had apparently been his first baptism.
Clergy in the know eventually contacted the top of the hierarchy in both the US and Rome, according to the Times. At McCarrick's appointment to Washington in 2000, Fr. Boniface Ramsey, a priest on faculty at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall in Newark, alerted US papal nuncio (the Vatican ambassador) Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo to the stories from seminarians about McCarrick, and at Montalvo's urging sent a letter to the Vatican. Psychologist and laicized priest Richard Sipe sent a letter to Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 saying the stories from the beach house "had been widely known for several decades." Sipe was an expert in clergy abuse.
Relevant reporting
NYT: He Preyed on Men Who Wanted to Be Priests. Then He Became a Cardinal.
NYT: Man Says Cardinal McCarrick, His ‘Uncle Ted,’ Sexually Abused Him for Years
FR. DESMOND ROSSI SPEAKS ON ABUSE FROM MCCARRICK
July 25
In an interview with America Magazine, Fr. Desmond Rossi of Albany detailed his time as a seminarian and young priest in the Archdiocese of Newark under McCarrick. While never genitally molested by McCarrick, Fr. Rossi described an overly-touchy and personable archbishop and said that he and a seminarian friend quickly puzzled out what occurred at beach house outings. In private meetings, McCarrick would often let his hand rest on Rossi's knee, a display of "power." He also gave an account of being raped by two seminary friends, who were transitional deacons at the time, during a pastoral year at a parish. Fr. Rossi transferred to the diocese of Albany in 1988.
Fr. Rossi was one of the adults to whom Newark had paid a settlement, $35,000 to cover the cost of counseling.
Relevant reporting
HONDURAN SEMINARIANS ALLEGE WIDESPREAD CULTURE OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AND IMMORALITY
July 25
In a letter obtained by EWTN's National Catholic Register, 48 seminarians in Tegucigalpa’s major seminary described "gravely immoral situations, above all of an active homosexuality inside the seminary" and described those outside this subculture as "scandalized and really depressed." The letter alleged that over half of seminary students are homosexual and enjoy protection from Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, notable for his membership on the so-called "C9" advising body to Pope Francis.
On July 30, the Honduran bishops released a statement denying the allegations.
Relevant reporting
National Catholic Register: Honduran Seminarians Allege Widespread Homosexual Misconduct
Catholic News Agency via ACI Prensa: Honduran bishops deny 'culture of homosexuality' at national seminary
AP TRACES SEXUAL ABUSE AND ASSAULT OF NUNS BACK SEVERAL DECADES
July 27
The AP spoke with sisters from all over the world about their sexual abuse by priests in a July 27 report. It detailed the case of one nun who described not having gone to confession in years after she was raped in a university classroom by her confessor. While the report called the full extent of the problem unclear, it noted that sisters from several continents had complained and described a culture of silence around the issue, and traced the problem back several decades. One expert noted that if a nun became pregnant in these situations, "mainly she has an abortion" paid for by the priest.
MCCARRICK SUBMITS RESIGNATION, FRANCIS REMOVES RED HAT
July 28
A press release from the Vatican confirmed that McCarrick had tendered his resignation from the College of Cardinals, and Pope Francis had accepted. The pontiff also suspended him from public ministry and ordered him to "a life of prayer and penance until the accusations made against him are examined in a regular canonical trial."
It was the first such resignation since 1927, and the first ever due to charges of sexual abuse. In 2013, Cardinal Kieth Patrick O'Brien of Scotland waived his rights as a cardinal, but retained the title until his death this past March.
McCarrick's resignation led to a cascade of statements from bishops discussing procedural reform and repentance in varying degrees.
ARCHBISHOP WILSON RESIGNS
July 30
Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide, Australia July 30. The archbishop had faced growing pressure to vacate his position after being sentenced to a year of detention following a verdict that he covered up sexual abuse of a minor by a priest. In a statement, he said that he had become "increasingly worried at the growing level of hurt" his conviction had caused.
FORMER PRIEST DETAILS ABUSE BY VOCATION DIRECTOR IN LINCOLN DIOCESE
August 1
In an essay for the American Conservative, laicized priest Peter Mitchell described a culture of drinking, gambling, and abuse of a both emotional and sexual nature by Monsignor Leonard Kalin, vocations director for the Lincoln diocese from 1970 to 1998. According to Mitchell, Kalin organzied gambling trips and drinking parties, berated seminarians in private meetings followed by lengthy hugs, and asked students to "help him" in the shower. Mitchell describes an "inner circle" of young, attractive seminarians gathered around Kalin, men who now "continue to hold the reins of ecclesiastical power" following seminary favoritism.
Notably, Mitchell's essay struck at claims of a liberal/conservative fault line in the scandals, noting that the seminary and diocese were known for "impeccable orthodoxy."
Mitchell was laicized in 2017 and describes himself as "grateful to be a baptized and practicing Catholic."
JOHN MONACO BLOWS THE WHISTLE
August 1
In what he called his Catholic #MeToo moment, former seminarian John Monaco in a Twitter thread chronicled years of sexual abuse and harassment at two seminaries he attended. Monaco described alcohol abuse, parties, spiked drinks, and a hook-up culture present at both institutions. When he complained to his superiors, he was accused of being "uncharitable."
While Monaco kept the names of the seminaries he attended undisclosed in his thread, his testimony caused a cascade of allegations about both places from those who knew him, and it quickly became clear that he had attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia and St. John Vianney Seminary in Boston.
Writing from Monaco
VICTIMS SPEAK ON ABUSE IN CHILEAN SEMINARY
August 7
Inés San Martín of Crux spoke with four victims of sexual abuse in Chile's seminary who described a culture dating back to the 1990's and under three successive bishops which involved not only students but predator members of the faculty. They told of forced skinny-dipping excursions, stalkers, and rape.
In May, all Chilean bishops resigned en masse following a meeting with Pope Francis regarding sexual abuse in the country. A 2,300-page report had displayed a web of cover-up largely centered around Fr. Fernando Karadima's serial abuse and cover-up by Bishop Juan Barros. Pope Francis has accepted a handful of the resignations.
THEOLOGIAN AND ABUSE SURVIVOR CALLS FOR "COLLEGIAL" PENANCE BY U.S. BISHOPS
August 9
Dr. Dawn Eden Goldstein, an assistant professor of dogmatic theology at Holy Apostles College and Seminary and author, in a viral tweet and subsequent op-ed in the Catholic Herald called for the United States bishops to offer "public" reparation for the sins of the clergy and subsequent cover-up in the wake of revelations on McCarrick and pending the anticipated release of a scathing Pennsylvania grand jury report. She offered a brief history on penances in relation to sexual abuse and offered suggestions for what such a penance may look like, including Holy Hours and wearing of sackcloth. Goldstein is an abuse survivor and convert from Judaism.
INDEPENDENT INQUIRY UNEARTHS ABUSE AT TWO BENEDICTINE SCHOOLS IN UK
August 9
"Appalling" cultures of sexual abuse were found in two Benedictine boarding schools over the course of four decades in a report released by the British Home Office. Both schools were accused of protecting the reputation of the Church over children, and one school in particular quietly re-admitted monks accused of abuse after boys who had known them left. Cover-ups continued even after new policies were implemented in 2001.
Both schools and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales issued statements of regret.
CARDINAL SEÁN O'MALLEY CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION OF BOSTON SEMINARY
August 10
In response to John Monaco's and others' allegations, Cardinal Seán O'Malley of Boston called for a "fully independent inquiry" into "activities which are directly contrary to the moral standards and requirements of formation for the Catholic priesthood" occurring at St. John Vianney Seminary in Boston. He also placed Msgr. James P. Moroney, Rector of St. John’s, on sabbatical for the fall semester.
Cardinal O'Malley is a prominent abuse victims advocate and serves as President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.
CARDINAL O'MALLEY CANCELS ATTENDANCE AT WORLD MEETING, APOLOGIZES FOR MISSED WHISTLEBLOWER LETTER
August 13 — 20
On August 15, Cardinal O'Malley announced that he would not attend the upcoming World Meeting of Families in Ireland as he had planned due to the investigation launched into his seminary. Days later, he also apologized for missing a letter sent to his archdiocese's curia from Fr. Boniface Ramsey in 2015 which detailed allegations against McCarrick dating back to the 1980's, about which Fr. Ramsey said he thought "virtually everyone knew." Cardinal O'Malley had previously stated that he had not "personally" received the letter.
Catholic News Service obtained the letter from Fr. Ramsey, in which the priest detailed stories from those directly involved in McCarrick's beach house excursions and includes accounts from seminarians and the seminary's rector.
Relevant reporting
Catholic News Service report via National Catholic Reporter
"MURDER OF THE SOUL" — PA REPORT RELEASED, IMPLICATES CURRENT BISHOPS
August 14
After several weeks of anticipation and delay, a Pennsylvania grand jury released a report covering six dioceses over a span of 70 years. Over 1,000 victims were featured and 301 priests accused in the 884-page report that was the sum of 18 months' work for the 23-person jury and PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
"Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing; they hid it all," the report said. "For decades."
Many victims, perhaps in the thousands, are estimated to remain unidentified. The majority of victims were male, ranging in age from pre-pubescent to young adult, including seminarians.
The dioceses investigated were Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Scranton, together home to 1.7 million of the state's almost 3 million Catholics.
Victims recounted horrors including forced naked posing as Christ on the cross, sacramental objects used as sex toys, and impregnated girls pressured to abort the children of their priest rapists. In some places, whole networks of abusers existed who would mark victims vulnerable to more exploitation with gold crosses.
According to the report, the Church exercised a "playbook for concealing the truth," using euphemisms such as "boundary issues" and "inappropriate contact" for "abuse" and "rape," and placing priests removed from ministry on "medical leave."
Nearly every charge in the report is too old to prosecute, per the PA statute of limitations which prohibits charges from being pressed after a victim turns 50.
The report became noteworthy not only for its extensive and gruesome chronicle of abuse and rape, however. The grand jury observed that many bishops guilty of cover-up remain in ecclesial power, and until their removal deemed it "too early to close the book on the Catholic Church sex scandal." Immediately caught in the crossfire was Cardinal Donald Wuerl of D.C., McCarrick's successor, already under pressure due to widespread suspicion that despite denials he knew of his predecessor's misconduct.
Link to grand jury report (warning: graphic)
Relevant reporting
Catholic News Agency report on grand jury
HEAD OF U.S. BISHOPS CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO AMERICAN CHURCH
August 16
In a news release following the release of the grand jury report, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) called for an apostolic visitation from the Vatican to fully investigate the U.S. Church, saying the conference required "requires not only spiritual conversion, but practical changes to avoid repeating the sins and failures of the past."
He listed three goals, namely a full investigation, improvement of reporting channels particularly where bishops are concerned, and a better way to resolve complaints against members of the episcopate. He also gave three principles to guide this process, namely independence of the investigation, respect for authority of the Church while protecting the vulnerable, and lay involvement.
"The overarching goal in all of this is stronger protections against predators in the Church and anyone who would conceal them, protections that will hold bishops to the highest standards of transparency and accountability," the statement said.
DiNardo also assured the faithful that a more developed plan would be presented at the USCCB fall meeting in November.
SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS COMMUNAL FAST
August 17 — 22
As outrage and sorrow spread in the wake of the grand jury report, fasting efforts in reparation for crimes and sin in the Church went viral on social media.
First, Sr. Theresa Aletheia, FSP called for fasting on August 17, the Friday after the report's release; her post on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, garnered over 300 retweets.
Separately, an image with the tag #sackclothandashes began to circulate calling for a fasting period from August 22, the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, through the end of September, a total of 40 days. The image was frequently shared separated from whatever source it came from, making the task of tracking its spread difficult.
These initiatives represented some of the first of many prayer and activist efforts by laity in response to the crisis.
National Catholic Register on #sackclothandashes
Catholic News Agency interview with Kendra Tierney and Bonnie Engstrom of #sackclothandashes
CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY REPORT REVEALS CULTURE OF SEXUAL PROMISCUITY CONNECTED TO MCCARRICK
August 17
A Catholic News Agency report from DC editor Ed Condon exposed a culture of drinking, sexual promiscuity, and cover-up prevalent throughout the Newark archdiocese. Interviews with seven priests, six diocesan from Newark and one religious from New York during McCarrick's time in those places, verified Condon's claims. Priests recalled cries of "hide the handsome ones" when McCarrick would visit seminaries and even described his "type." Condon's sources revealed that in addition to the infamous beach house parties, McCarrick would also invite young men to stay the night in the cathedral rectory.
Priests described two cultures in the seminary, one of men striving sincerely for priesthood and another of "active homosexuality." Newcomers to seminary were warned to lock their door at night to avoid "visitors" and that they would “see things that weren’t right.” This culture continued after McCarrick's departure. Newark is home to St. Andrew's Hall and Immaculate Conception Seminary.
The report also revealed the identity of one of Fr. Desmond Rossi's attackers, Fr. James Weiner, still in active ministry. Priests described "rectory parties" at Weiner's parish, where priests downed pink cocktails and sized up the "fresh meat" of newcomers. (Fr. Weiner has since been removed pending further investigation.)
In 2014, Fr. Mark O'Malley, rector at St. Andrew's Hall in Newark, was placed on "medical leave" after allegedly hiding a camera in the room of a young seminarian; however, according to one young priest, "nobody is fooled by the medical leave thing anymore."
The same day the report broke, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark sent a letter to priests of his archdiocese denying ever being told about a "gay subculture" in Newark. He expressed hope that the priests interviewed were not in fact from the archdiocese and told clergy to refer media to the archdiocesan director of communications. He also noted that Weiner's case had been re-opened and that O'Malley had been deemed fit for active ministry in April 2015.
Relevant reporting
BISHOP TIMOTHY SENIOR ANNOUNCES INVESTIGATION OF PHILADELPHIA SEMINARY
August 17
Following John Monaco's August 1 account and subsequent guest-writing at OnePeterFive, Bishop Timothy Senior announced that the archdiocese was investigating a claim of sexual harassment. Monaco attended the institution in the 2010-2011 academic year.
CARDINAL WUERL PULLS FROM WORLD MEETING KEYNOTE, FACES ONGOING BACKLASH
August 18
Cardinal Wuerl of Washington, D.C. cancelled his schedule appearance and keynote address at the World Meeting of Families in the wake of the release of the grand jury report, which detailed multiple instances in which Wuerl as Bishop of Pittsburgh in the 1990s and 2000s moved priests accused of abuse or financed their retirement. Wuerl claimed not to have known of the suspected abuse, to which Pennsylvania Attorney General Joshua Shapiro said he was "not telling the truth."
A day after the grand jury report dropped, Wuerl's office deleted a PR website called the "Wuerl Record" defending the cardinal's reputation.
Wuerl was already facing scrutiny for his claim to not have known about McCarrick's record of abuse.
Relevant reporting
Irish Times on cancelled appearance
POPE: "HEART-WRENCHING PAIN" OF VICTIMS IN PA REPORT DEMANDS PENANCE, COMMITMENT TO FIGHT ABUSE
August 20
In a letter to the People of God, Pope Francis cited St. Paul in saying "if one member suffers, all suffer together with it" and called the Church to pray and fast to "never again" tolerate abuse. He said reform requires "active participation" from all in the Church and called clericalism "an excision in the ecclesial body that supports and helps to perpetuate many of the evils that we are condemning today."
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the USCCB, said he was "grateful" for the pope's letter and that "we bishops need to – and we must – practice with all humility such prayer and penance."
Relevant reporting
Vatican News: Full text of letter
A TALE OF TWO SYNODS
August 22 — September 8
Amid the growing outcry in the wake of the grand jury report, several bishops began to speak on the upcoming October 3 — 28 Synod on Young People in Rome, and some proposed an alternative.
On August 22, Bishop Philip Egan of Portsmouth, UK wrote to Pope Francis in an open letter calling for an Extraordinary Synod on the Life and Ministry of Clergy. Bishop Egan noted that sex abuse had become a "world-wide phenomenon" and suggested "the Synod be devoted to the identity of being a priest/bishop, to devising guidance on life-style and supports for celibacy, to proposing a rule of life for priests/bishops and to establishing appropriate forms of priestly/episcopal accountability and supervision," with accompanying revisions to Canon Law.
Bishop Edward J. Burns of Dallas, TX made a similar suggestion in an open letter on August 29, calling for a gathering to address outreach to victims, clergy lifestyle, and formation of seminarians.
On August 30 at a panel on young people at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, Archbishop Charles Chaput called for the cancellation of the Synod on Young People, citing the current crisis. "I have written the Holy Father and called on him to cancel the upcoming synod on young people," he said. "Right now, the bishops would have absolutely no credibility in addressing this topic." Chaput is slated to be one of the U.S. representatives to the Synod.
While paying respects to Archbishop Chaput, Katie Prejean McGrady, one of the U.S. delegates to the pre-synodal meeting in March, argued to keep it on the books. In a September 4 essay for America Magazine, she said, "To cancel the synod on youth would be to close the door, yet again, in the face of those who are standing at the door saying, 'We have something for you, about the future of the church, and we need to tell you about it.'"
Bishop Strickland joined the voices calling for cancellation on September 8 with a tweet. Acknowledging his brother bishops calling for such a move, he said, "Bishops to deal with the abuse crisis in the Church. This crisis must be addressed!!! NO to business as usual"
A synod is a gathering of bishops from around the world to address a particular topic. Depending on their nature, they may be termed ordinary, extraordinary, or special.
Relevant reporting and statements
CatholicPhilly on Chaput's call
Katie Prejean McGrady on October Synod
SETON HALL ANNOUNCES INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION FOLLOWING SEMINARY ALLEGATIONS
August 23
Seton Hall University President Mary J. Meehan announced an independent investigation following a Catholic News Agency report that sexual abuse "may have involved seminarians" in connection with McCarrick.
DIOCESES IN MISSOURI, ILLINOIS CALL FOR INVESTIGATIONS INTO RECORDS
August 23 — 29
In response to an invitation from Archbishop Robert Carlson, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley promised a "probing, comprehensive investigation" into the records of the St. Louis archdiocese on abuse. The archdiocese promised full transparency, and the other three dioceses in the state soon followed suit. All dioceses in the state of Illinois also called for an investigation from state Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Relevant reporting
St. Louis Review announcement of investigations
St. Louis Post-Dispatch report
Fulton Sun report on Jefferson City diocese
Springfield News-Leader report on Springfield-Cape Girardeau diocese
MCCARRICK’S SUCCESSORS WERE AWARE OF SETTLEMENTS, ALLEGED MISCONDUCT
August 24 — 31
A Catholic News Service report on August 24 revealed that McCarrick’s successors in various dioceses were aware of settlements paid to former seminarians in the mid-2000’s. In Newark, archdiocesan communications director Jim Goodness told CNS that Archbishop John J. Myers, McCarrick’s immediate successor, was aware of an $80,000 settlement to Robert Ciolek. In Goodness' words, “He’s the bishop.” Myers was Archbishop of Newark from 2001 through 2016.
Erin Friedlander, diocesan communications director in Metuchen, NJ, told CNS that the diocese “received the first complaint against Archbishop McCarrick in 2004” and others followed, and Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski referred the reports to civil authorities. Eventual settlements were reported to the apostolic nuncio to the U.S.
On August 31, Mike Kelly of the North Jersey Record reported that in a conversation with Cardinal Tobin, current ordinary of Newark, Tobin had said he heard rumors about the McCarrick beach house stories, but found them too unsubstantial to investigate. “Shame on me that I didn’t ask sooner,” the Record reported Tobin saying.
Relevant reporting
POPE VISITS IRELAND FOR WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES, ADDRESSES GROWING CRISIS
August 25 — 26
Pope Francis visited Ireland for the final 32 hours of the World Meeting for Families, an event organized by the Vatican that occurs every three years. Months-long anticipation of the pontiff's visit was overshadowed by the growing sex abuse crisis in the Church; the country was one of the first to feel the shock of the sex abuse crisis in the 1990's. Ireland recently voted in a referendum to legalize abortion. The result of these colliding factors was a decidedly mixed atmosphere as the meeting began.
Francis' messages consisted both of usual advice for families, calling marriage a "risk worth taking" and urging a reduction in screen time at home, as well as denunciations of the silence around abuse.
Francis addressed the scandal upon arriving in the country to Irish authorities, saying the news "has rightly given rise to outrage, and remains a source of pain and shame for the Catholic community." He also met with victims on Saturday evening, and according to attendees he used the Spanish term caca to describe the crisis. Among the victims he met was Marie Collins, former member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and vocal critic of the Vatican on sex abuse.
Francis also visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock, famed for an 1879 apparition of Our Lady along with St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, and Christ. There, he entrusted victims to Mary and asked the "Lord’s forgiveness for these sins and for the scandal and betrayal felt by so many."
In the closing Mass for the meeting, the Pope apologized for acts of abuse and cover-up "by qualified members of the Church" and prayed to "to put in front of God’s mercy these crimes and to ask forgiveness for them." The Mass was originally projected to draw 500,000 to the spot where Pope John Paul II had celebrated Mass for over a million in 1979. Official Vatican figures after the event gave a crowd of around 300,000.
Relevant reporting
Catholic News Agency report on pope's words to Irish leaders
FORMER PAPAL NUNCIO ACCUSES FRANCIS OF COVER-UP, CALLS FOR RESIGNATION
August 25
In an 11-page letter released to various media, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò said that in his course as Delegate for Pontifical Representations from 1998-2009 and as Apostolic Nuncio to the United States from 2011-2016, he learned of the rumors surrounding McCarrick and sent two memos to Vatican officials on the rumors, in 2006 and 2008. The archbishop claimed that Pope Benedict XVI had quietly imposed "canonical sanctions" on the then-cardinal for his behavior, and that he had told Pope Francis about these "sanctions" shortly after the current pontiff's election, but Francis lifted them for political reasons. He called for Francis' resignation, saying that "Pope Francis must be the first to set a good example for cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick’s abuses and resign along with all of them."
In the letter, disseminated to LifeSiteNews and the National Catholic Register in English, Viganò claimed that Pope Benedict, sometime in 2009 or 2010, had privately placed sanctions on McCarrick nearly identical to restrictions placed on him by Pope Francis on June 20. He said that then-nuncio Pietro Sambi communicated the sanctions to McCarrick at the nunciature, and a shouting match followed. In 2013, Viganò recalled speaking with Francis on McCarrick, telling him that "there is a dossier this thick about him. He corrupted generations of seminarians and priests and Pope Benedict ordered him to withdraw to a life of prayer and penance."
Viganò also claimed that Cardinal Wuerl had been informed of the sanctions, and that a "homosexual current in favor of subverting Catholic doctrine" exists within the hierarchy and the Roman Curia, which had allowed for McCarrick's rise to the top and subsequent influencing of other major appointments. This network was protected by Francis to prevent "ideologizing." Furthermore Viganò claimed that McCarrick had been crucial in several major episcopal appointments in the US, including Cardinal Blase Cupich in Chicago and Cardinal Tobin in Newark.
Viganò's letter led to immediate and ongoing fallout as some rushed to discredit him, accusing him of a politically motivated attack on the pope, and others sought to confirm or deny the content of his letter. Among other things, he was critiqued for an "emotional" tone, lack of evidence presented along with his letter, and for allegedly covering up an investigation of a bishop accused of abuse in the past.
Following the letter's release, Viganò went into hiding.
LifeSiteNews report and letter text
National Catholic Register report and letter text
POPE FRANCIS SAYS HE "WILL NOT SAY A SINGLE WORD" ON VIGANÒ LETTER; REPORTERS SEEK THE TRUTH
August 26
The "testimony" from Archbishop Viganò cast a pall over the end of the World Meeting for Families. On the flight back to Rome with journalists, Pope Francis when pressed on the letter said that he "will not say a single word on this," and asked reporters to use their "journalistic capacity to reach the conclusions."
NATIONAL REVIEW BOARD OF USCCB CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT, LAY-LED INVESTIGATION
August 28
The National Review Board (NRB) of the U.S. bishops, the body tasked with sexual abuse prevention, called for an "independent review" of bishops when allegations are brought against prelates. They pointed to both the case of Theodore McCarrick as well as the PA grand jury report in saying that "the episcopacy needs to be held accountable for these past actions, and in the future, for being complicit, either directly or indirectly, in the sexual abuse of the vulnerable." The NRB also condemned the Church's "culture of silence" and called for the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People to be "viewed as a living document" and criticized its "deliberate ambiguity and lack of inclusion of bishops." McCarrick was one of the principle authors of the Charter.
Relevant reporting and statement
CHILD ABUSE ALLEGATION AGAINST WYOMING EMERITUS BISHOP "CREDIBLE AND SUBSTANTIATED"
August 29
The Diocese of Cheyenne announced August 29 that the Diocesan Review Board had found "credible and substantiated" two allegations of abuse of minors against Emeritus Bishop Joseph Hart. The case had been forwarded to the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican, which handles abuse cases, and current ordinary Bishop Stephen Biegler invited any additional victims to come forward.
“QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERS” — OVER 25,000 CATHOLIC WOMEN SIGN OPEN LETTER TO POPE
August 30
Calling themselves “deeply committed to our faith,” tens of thousands of Catholic women signed an online open letter to Pope Francis dated August 30 asking the pontiff to respond to the accusations contained in Archbishop Viganò’s testimony. These accusations, said the letter, “require only your direct response, Holy Father.”
Specifically, the signees desire to know if Pope Benedict’s alleged sanctions were real, when Francis learned of McCarrick’s misconduct, and when he learned of his predecessor’s restrictions on the then-cardinal.
“We expect you, our Holy Father, to be honest with us,” the women said. “Please do not turn from us.”
Citing Francis’ refusal to answer questions on the topic when returning from Ireland, the writers said “to your hurting flock, Pope Francis, your words are inadequate.”
AUSTRALIA CHURCH REJECTS CALL TO VIOLATE SEAL OF CONFESSION
August 31
Following a five-year investigation, the Australian government in late 2017 gave recommendations to the Church in Australia for preventing and prosecuting sexual abuse of minors. While welcoming every other suggestion, the Australian bishops August 31 categorically denied the request that priests be made to violate the seal of confession to reveal abuse, calling it "contrary to our faith and inimical to religious liberty." In the past several months since the report, the largest of its kind undertaken regarding the Church in any country, have seen different territories pass laws that would require priests to violate the seal, normally protected by anti-religious discrimination laws.
Relevant reporting
JOURNALISTS DIG INTO VIGANÒ'S CLAIMS
August 27 — September 1
Though many were jaded by the pope's comments to journalists to work through the Viganò "testimony" on their own, many took up the mantle. Developments and commentary ensued in a breakneck pace, the most essential concerned with verifying the letter's claims (though a significant amount also focused on his abuse record as well as the 2015 meeting between Pope Francis and U.S. clerk Kim Davis, which Viganò organized).
Catholic News Agency contacted Monsignor Jean-François Lantheaume, a former high-ranking official in the nunciature whom Viganò named as a source in his letter. “Viganò said the truth. That’s all,” was his only reply.
CNA also continued their investigative streak, questioning sources in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. about McCarrick's living situation after the alleged "sanctions" were imposed. An August 27 report from Ed Condon showed that in early 2009, around when the sanctions were said to have been handed down (and McCarrick ordered out of the seminary where he was living), the then-cardinal moved from Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Seminary and into St. Thomas' parish, the rectory renovated for him. The move began in 2008; Viganò recalled sanctions being placed in 2009 or 2010.
Another report by Condon three days later indicated that while living there, McCarrick had two seminarians from the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE) a year as a sort of personal staff. Though apparently he never made sexual advances on them, seminarians did complain of the prelate's demands, and the job was not highly valued. The IVE's founder, Fr. Carlos Miguel Buela, retired in 2010 amid sexual misconduct allegations involving seminarians, charges which were later confirmed by the Vatican.
America Magazine's Mike J. O'Loughlin spoke with sources close to McCarrick and perused reporting on the then-cardinal from during the period when he was allegedly sanctioned; McCarrick's travels during the period were well-known, but O'Loughlin noted that at points McCarrick seemed to be "avoiding the media." He also noted multiple interactions between McCarrick and Pope Benedict, the pontiff who allegedly handed down the restrictions. The report noted that this was not evidence against the existence of sanctions, but could simply confirm they were being ignored.
Archbishop Viganò, speaking to LifeSiteNews in an August 31 report, stated the latter, saying that the sanctions were "private" and that he as nuncio could not enforce them; he also defended the "mild-mannered" Benedict for not publicly chastising the apparently disobedient cardinal.
Edward Pentin, veteran Vatican reporter at the National Catholic Register, wrote August 31 confirming his original report that the "sanctions" were in fact not a "formal decree," but a "private request."
Some journalists also claimed to locate the house where McCarrick is living post-sanctions. Liz Bruenig, opinion writer at the Washington Post, said that on a tip she found the house where he was staying in D.C., on archdiocesan property. She made two requests of an interview, on the evening of August 27 and again the following day. She received no reply, and a representative from the archdiocese complained to the Post that she was being "intimidating."
Relevant reporting:
Catholic News Agency report on Msgr. Lantheaume's comments
Catholic News Agency report on McCarrick's retirement acomodations
Catholic News Agency report on McCarrick's seminarian staff
America Magazine report on McCarrick's retirement activity
LifeSiteNews report on Viganò's clarification on sanctions
National Catholic Register on "further questions" about sanctions
CARDINAL WUERL FLIES TO ROME, ADDRESSES CRISIS AT HOME, AND FACES CALLS FOR RESIGNATION
August 28 — September 9
Cardinal Wuerl sent a letter to the priests of his archdiocese by email on Thursday, August 30, saying that he looked forward to their annual Labor Day gathering "in prayer and then in conversation." He said that he offered Mass the Sunday prior at the Cathedral of St. Matthew for survivors of abuse, and said that the entire Church was "wounded by the shame and horror of these egregious actions." He said that every priest "somehow bears the joys and sorrows of one another because we are all rightly seen as sharers in the priesthood," and also asked "forgiveness for my errors in judgment, for my inadequacies, and also for your acceptance of my contrition for any suffering I have caused, as well as the grace to find, with you, ways of healing, ways of offering fruitful guidance in this darkness."
Around this time, rumors began making rounds online that Cardinal Wuerl had left the country and was in Rome shortly after the release of the Viganò testimony, and word of a supposed sighting of him circulated in a tweet.
Regardless of rumor, Wuerl was back in the country on September 2 and again offered Mass at the Church of the Annunciation. In remarks from the pulpit afterward, Wuerl said that he had not "always been right" in his office as a bishop and that the presence of evil in the Church "calls on all of us, but certainly those responsible for leadership in the Church for apology, contrition, atonement, and it is never ever too late to begin that essential action of prayerful penance."
He also addressed what he portrayed as attacks on the pope, saying, "We need to hold close in our prayers and our loyalty, our Holy Father Pope Francis. Increasingly it is clear that he is the object of considerable animosity." At this, one member of the congregation exclaimed "Shame on you!" from the pews.
In lieu of the annual Labor Day barbecue with archdiocesan priests, Wuerl hosted a more somber meeting with his ministers.
CNN confirmed that Wuerl had met with the Holy Father in the week prior. The Washington Post spoke with sources from the Labor Day gathering, who said that Wuerl had told them that Pope Francis urged the Cardinal to "discern with his priests." Another source said that priests were divided over whether Wuerl should resign. The Wall Street Journal said that Wuerl said little throughout the encounter.
Calls for Wuerl's resignation have extended outside the clergy, coming from figures such as from D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, a group of protesting archdiocesan schoolteachers, and Trinity Washington University president Patricia McGuire.
On September 6, Wuerl sent a letter to the archdiocese which acknowledged that the D.C. bishopric may be "well served by new leadership" and also called for a 6-week "Season" of healing and prayer in the archdiocese.
On September 9, Deacon James Garcia, master of ceremonies at St. Matthew's cathedral, penned a letter calling for Wuerl's resignation and declared "I cannot, in good conscience, continue to assist you personally, whether as an assisting deacon or a master of ceremony."
"Reliquish your position as Archbishop without delay," the deacon continued. He also said that "no amount of apology will suffice unless and until bishops and other complicit clergy are either removed or resigned."
Per usual protocol, Wuerl submitted his letter of resignation two years ago upon turning 75. Pope Francis has not accepted that resignation as of yet, not an unusual move with high-ranking clerics.
Relevant reporting
Text of the Cardinal's letter to priests
Catholic News Agency: "'Shame on you!' Cardinal Wuerl hears from protester after Sunday Mass"
Washington Post report on meeting with Francis
CNN report on meeting with pope
Washington Post on calls for resignation
Wall Street Journal on meeting with priests
Letter to archdiocese via Washington Post
Text of Garcia letter (linked to in Washington Post report)
POPE APPEARS TO ADDRESS EVENTS FROM PULPIT: "THE TRUTH IS SILENT"
September 3 — 7
In several homilies at daily Mass in the chapel of the Domus Santae Marthae in Vatican City Pope Francis appeared to address the growing scandal in various ways.
On September 3, drawing on the gospel reading for the day, he noted that when crowds attempted to drive Jesus from the city after his preaching in the synagogue, "Jesus stayed silent." The pope described the answer in the face of such a crowd: "With people lacking good will, with people who only seek scandal, who seek only division, who seek only destruction, even within the family: silence, prayer."
On September 6, the pope said that Christians must recognize and "feel" themselves as sinners, and not simply note the wrongs of others. "“A sign that a person does not know, that a Christian does not know how to accuse himself is when he is accustomed to accusing others, to talking about others, to being nosy about the lives of others," he said. "And that is an ugly sign."
Similar subliminal messages emerged about scandal and abuse emerged over the ensuing days in the pope's homilies.
CHICAGO PRIESTS ARRESTED IN FLORIDA FOR PUBLIC SEX ACTS
September 3
Two Chicago-area priests were arrested and charged in Miami on September 3 with "lewd and lascivious" behavior after police received a call reporting the incident at 3:20 p.m. The two men were reported for performing oral sex in the front seat of a car "in full view of the public passing by" on the street.
One man, Fr. Diego Berrio, is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and has had his ministerial faculties removed. The other, Fr. Edwin Giraldo Cortes, is from Colombia and had just finished a month-long assignment in Chicago.
“The fact that they are priests is above and beyond shocking,” said one mother who was at a nearby park with her son.
Fr. Berrio had been trained in the Casa Jesús program in Chicago, a year-long discernment program for Latin American seminarians in Chicago. The Casa was quietly shuttered in 2016 due to an underculture of sexual licentiousness and active homosexuality. Shortly after the program closed, the Casa's director, Fr. Octavio Munoz, was arrested on child pornography charges.
Relevant reporting
Catholic News Agency report on Miami incident
LAY REVIEW BOARD SEEKS RE-APPOINTMENT
September 4
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke wrote to Cardinal DiNardo on September 4, requesting that he re-convene the USCCB's National Review Board, which in 2004 issued a 158-page report on sexual abuse in the Church. Members of the board included President Barack Obama’s former CIA chief and Defense Secretary, a powerful D.C. attorney, and state Supreme Court Justices.
Writing on behalf of herself and previous members of the board whom she had contacted, Burke said that "we are all deeply disturbed and saddened by the recent reports that sexual abuse by the clergy and its alleged cover-up has reached into the hierarchy of the Church."
"We strongly recommend that you request the Holy See to appoint the members of our Board to investigate and report to the Holy See on the allegations in this evolving crisis and to make recommendations to the Bishops Conference." She noted widespread consensus that the board's original work resulted in improved safety standards in the Church.
Relevant reporting
Chicago-Sun Times report and text of letter
Original 2004 report
CATHOLIC MEN SIGN LETTER TO POPE
September 5
In a letter dated September 5, Catholic men stated that they were "appalled by the recent abuses" coming from Honduras, Chile, Pennsylvania, and Archbishop McCarrick. Signatories "commit to serious and difficult fasting for the next seventeen Fridays," the remainder of the calendar year.
The letter also cited an unwillingness by parents to allow their sons to enter seminary in the current climate. It also avoided commentary on Archbishop Viganò's allegations, saying "regardless of the veracity of Archbishop Viganò’s allegations, our concerns about corruption remain."
Within four days of publication, the letter had garnered over 8,500 signatures. Names included Dr. Scott Hahn, biblical scholar and author, and Al Kresta, president and CEO of Ave Maria Radio.
DONALD TRUMP WEIGHS IN
September 5
In a September 5 interview with the Daily Caller, President Donald Trump commented on the ongoing scandal, calling it "so sad to watch." Trump said that "the numbers, the length of time, you know, going back 70 years, I think it’s having a really negative impact on the Catholic Church." However, he also said he thought that "the Pope is handling it, I guess the best anyone can handle it. How is he going to handle it?"
FOUR STATES ANNOUNCE INVESTIGATIONS INTO DIOCESES
September 6 — 10
In a storm of announcements and subpoenas, attorneys general in New Mexico, Nebraska, New York, and New Jersey announced investigations into their states’ dioceses September 6 in the wake of the PA grand jury report. The announcements brought the total number of dioceses under some kind of investigation to 19, joining the sees in Missouri and Illinois.
Prominent among these were New York and New Jersey, states with connections to Archbishop McCarrick, as well as Nebraska, where a former seminarian alleged widespread misconduct.
In New York, state Attorney General Barbara Underwood subpoenaed all eight of the state’s dioceses, saying the PA report “shined a light on incredibly disturbing and depraved acts by Catholic clergy, assisted by a culture of secrecy and cover ups in the dioceses.” New York has no time limit for prosecuting Class A felonies under its statute of limitations.
In New Jersey, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced a task force led by a former acting prosecutor to lead the inquiry into abuse and cover-up. “No person is above the law and no institution is immune from accountability,” said Grewal. The task force will have subpoena power.
NM Attorney General Hector Balderas reported "numerous families that are demanding justice" and called his state a "dumping ground" for abusive priests.
Four days later, on September 10, Kentucky Attorney General J. Michael Brown announced he had requested from the state legislature that a state-wide grand jury be formed to investigate KY's four dioceses.
Relevant reporting
Omaha World-Herald on NE investigations
Catholic News Agency report on NE
Catholic News Agency report on NY, NJ
New York Times report on NY investigation
New York Times report on several states
Courrier-Journal on KY investigation
MAJOR CATHOLIC BUSINESS GROUP WITHHOLDS DONATION TO VATICAN
September 6
In a September 6 letter to members, Legatus, a coalition of Catholic business executives announced that its annual tithe to the Holy See would be suspended indefinitely, "pending further determination." The group's donation this year was estimated to be about $820,000, according to the Wall Street Journal. The letter also said that "We are certainly blessed with the leadership of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo" in his calls for an investigation.
Relevant reporting
Letter text via the American Conservative
LETTER CONFIRMS VATICAN OFFICIALS NEW ABOUT MCCARRICK ALLEGATIONS IN 2000
September 7
A 2006 letter disclosed to Catholic News Service by Fr. Boniface Ramsey confirmed that Vatican officials had known of allegations about Archbishop McCarrick in 2000, when Fr. Ramsey had written to then-nuncio to the U.S. Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo.
The letter, written by Montalvo's successor Archbishop Leonardo Sandri to Fr. Ramsey, spoke of "serious matters involving some of the students of the Immaculate Conception Seminary, which in November 2000 you were good enough to bring confidentially to the attention of the then Apostolic Nuncio." These "serious matters" involved a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark being considered for a Vatican post.
Fr. Ramsey told CNS that his original 2000 letter concerned McCarrick's behavior with seminarians; it "was about McCarrick and it wasn't accusing seminarians of anything; it was accusing McCarrick."
NUNS IN INDIA PROTEST BISHOP ACCUSED OF RAPE, SISTER PENS OPEN LETTER TO NUNCIO
September 8
Seven nuns gathered in a square in Kochi, India on September 8 to protest the civil and Church responses to accusations of rape against Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jullundur. "The Church has not given us justice. Neither have the police or government. So, we will fight," said Sister Anupama of the Missionaries of Jesus.
One sister of the congregation claimed in June that Bishop Mulakkal raped her in May 2014 and sexually abused her dozens of times over two years. The nuns report that they have received no response from Rome or the Apostolic Nuncio to India.
That sister released an open letter to Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Giambattista Diquattro the same day as the protests. Among other things, she said that "Ever since we filed this case we remain cut off from the mainstream of the church and society. We experience neglect from every side. We feel Catholic church is having concern only for the bishops and priests."
The Missionaries of Jesus support Bishop Mulakkal, who claims that the accusations were made in retaliation against him for acting against his accuser's alleged affair. The Missionaries are based in Mulakkal's diocese.
WUERL TO ASK POPE TO ACCEPT RESIGNATION
September 11
In a letter to the priests of his archdiocese, Cardinal Wuerl said that "as a fruit of our discernment I intend, in the very near future, to go to Rome to meet with our Holy Father about the resignation I presented nearly three years ago."
"At issue is how to begin effectively to bring a new level of healing to survivors who have personally suffered so much and to the faithful entrusted to our care who have also been wounded by the shame of these terrible actions and have questions about their bishop’s ability to provide the necessary leadership," he said.
"It was clear that some decision, sooner rather than later, on my part is an essential aspect so that this archdiocesan Church we all love can move forward."
Wuerl submitted his resignation 3 years ago at age 75, as required of all bishops. Pope Francis has not accepted that resignation, not uncommon for churchmen in high offices. Wuerl is not able to step down until Francis accepts.
Relevant reporting
POPE CALLS WORLDWIDE MEETING OF BISHOPS TO ADDRESS ABUSE
September 12
Pope Francis called September 12 for a meeting with all the presidents of bishops' conferences throughout the world to address "the protection of minors and vulnerable adults." The summit will take place in Rome February 21-24.
Relevant reporting
LEAKED STUDY COMMISSIONED BY GERMAN BISHOPS DETAILS ABUSE OF 3677 MINORS
September 12
A study commissioned four years ago by the German bishops' conference and scheduled for release at a September 25 meeting was leaked to German media almost 2 weeks early. The report, ranging from 1946 — 2014, detailed abuse against 3,677 minors by 1670 accused members of the clergy, and covered all 27 dioceses in the country. Der Spiegel reported that in many cases, evidence was "destroyed or manipulated."
Bishop Stephan Ackermann of Trier called the news "oppressive and shameful for us," but also criticized the early release. Ackermann is Commissioner for Questions of Sexual Abuse in the Church and for Questions of the Protection of Children and Minors for the conference.
ON EVE OF MEETING WITH POPE, DINARDO ACCUSED OF MISHANDLING ABUSIVE PRIEST
September 12
The day before he was to meet with the Holy Father regarding the unfolding scandal, a statement from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston revealed that Fr. Manuel La Rosa-Lopez had been arrested on charges of sex abuse brought forth by a victim who said the priest touched him inappropriately in high school from 1998 — 2001. Another victim, speaking with the Associated Press, said that several years after reporting her abuse, DiNardo promised the priest would be barred from interactions with children, but later learned he had been transferred to a parish 70 miles away. She had reported her abuse in 2001, and La Rosa-Lopez re-entered active ministry in 2004, according to the archdiocesan statement.
POPE MEETS WITH US BISHOPS
September 13
Cardinal DiNardo, along with Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, traveled to Rome for a September 13 meeting that dragged on for hours with Pope Francis regarding the unfolding crisis. They were joined by Cardinal O'Malley, already in Rome.
No word immediately followed the meeting except a statement from DiNardo, who called their time "lengthy and fruitful." "“We shared with Pope Francis our situation in the United States — how the Body of Christ is lacerated by the evil of sexual abuse. He listened very deeply from the heart," he said.
POPE ACCEPTS RESIGNATION OF WV BISHOP ACCUSED OF ABUSE, COVER-UP
September 13
Pope Francis on September 13 accepted the resignation of Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston, WV, 8 days after the bishop tendered it at the usual age 75. Bransfield in 2012 was the subject of a court inquiry into abuse by Fr. Stanley Gana, and accused of possible abuse himself. The diocese covers the entirety of West Virginia.
Archbishop William Lori of Boston was appointed apostolic administrator of the diocese and promised "a thorough investigation" of the allegations.
Bishop Bransfield was originally accused of abuse in connection with Fr. Gana in 2012, and denied wrongdoing. He is alleged to have known of Fr. Gana's abuse of young men, as well as to have had "fair-haired boys" with whom he would have sex.
NETHERLANDS REPORT DEALS IN SCORES: DETAILS 20,000 VICTIMS, IMPLICATES 20 BISHOPS
September 17
A Dutch newspaper on September 17 released a report ranging from 1945 — 2010 that detailed abuse by 4 bishops and implicated an additional 16 in cover-up. Up to 20,000 minors were abused at the hands of approximately 800 clergy, most of whom are now dead. Catholic News Agency noted that there were 39 bishops in the country over that span.
BISHOP MULAKKAL REQUESTS LEAVE
September 17
Bishop Mulakkal in India, facing growing calls for his arrest after allegations he had raped a nun and abused her over the course of two years, "wrote a letter to Holy Father Pope Francis expressing his desire to step aside temporarily and requested to be relieved from the administration of the Diocese" of Jalandhar, his diocese said in a statement on September 17. He had been called to face another round of questioning the following Wednesday. He had also been accused of sexual abuse by three more women over the previous days.
USCCB ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE RELEASES STEPS TO BE TAKEN
September 19
The USCCB Administrative Committee, acknowledging that "some bishops, by their actions or their failures to act, have caused great harm to both individuals and the Church as a whole," announced after meeting in Washington DC that four steps had been planned to respond to the recent scandals. Chief among these was a third-party reporting system for abuse by bishops as well as the development of a Code of Conduct, likely similar to the 2002 Dallas Charter, for bishops regarding sexual abuse and misconduct. The committee also instructed Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance to develop policy proposals for restrictions on bishops removed due to abuse and cover-up, and supported a Vatican investigation into the situation around Archbishop McCarrick.
POPE REMOVES TWO MORE BISHOPS IN CHILE
September 21
Pope Francis on September 21 removed Bishop Carlos Pellegrin Barrera of San Bartolome de Chillan and Bishop Cristian Contreras Molina of San Felipe, who had submitted their resignations along with the rest of Chile's bishops while in Rome in May. The pope has now removed 7 bishops in the country, appointing administrators in all their dioceses. He has not yet named successors.
Catholic News Service report via National Catholic Reporter
TOBIN WITHDRAWS FROM YOUTH SYNOD
September 21
Cardinal Tobin on September 21 announced that he would not be traveling to Rome in October for the Synod on Young People, citing "the crisis that continues to unfold" as "the Archdiocese of Newark suffers greatly."
"After the revelations of the past summer, I could not see myself absent for a month from our archdiocese and from you, the people entrusted to my care." The cardinal wrote to Pope Francis asking to be relieved of the obligation.
Tobin was personally appointed by Francis to join the other American bishops attending the Synod on August 25. The others confirmed at the time, elected by the USCCB, were Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop José H. Gomez, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano, and Bishop Robert E. Barron. In a September 17 announcement from the Vatican, Cardinal Blase Cupich was also named as a participant, along with many other appointees by Rome.
BISHOP MULAKKAL ARRESTED
September 21
Bishop Franco Mulakkal was arrested by civil authorities on September 21 in response to allegations that he had raped and abused a nun a number of times.
The Vatican had accepted Bishop Mulakkal's request for leave the day before. Acting in his stead as apostolic administrator is Bishop Agnelo Gracias Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Bombay.
INVESTIGATIONS AND REVIEWS IN SEVERAL STATES, CHILE, ENGLAND ANNOUNCED
September 21 — 28
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced on September 21 that he had opened an investigation into all 7 of the state's dioceses. Bishops around the state released statements welcoming the move and agreeing to cooperate.
Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore sent a letter to his priests on September 24 informing that he had spoken with Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh about an investigation into Church records on child sex abuse. Communications officials for both the AG's office and archdiocese refused to confirm or deny an ongoing investigation.
Also on September 24, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales issued a statement lamenting the unfolding scandal and said bishops' failures to act "are a great betrayal of the trust placed in them by the faithful and of the responsibilities that come with episcopal office.” They also announced an independent review of reporting structures in all 22 of the conference's dioceses.
The Diocese of Arlington, VA announced an ongoing investigation into clergy sex abuse on September 26 via its diocesan newspaper. Upon completing a review of personnel files, the diocese will publish a list of all credibly accused priests and deacons. "“It is our hope that this decision will help assure the faithful of the diocese’s commitment to accountability,” communications director for the diocese Billy Atwell said.
On September 28, the Archdiocese of Santiago announced the creation of the lay-led Bishops’ Delegated Commission for Truth and Peace. They combine the work of two previously existing bishops' groups, and will oversee archdiocesan environment monitoring as well as canonical procedures in cases of abuse. Heading the commission is Andrea Idalsoaga Montoya, a lawyer from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
Relevant reporting
Catholic News Agency report on Michigan investigation
Catholic News Service report on Lori letter via The Compass
Catholic News Agency report on Arlington diocese
Catholic News Agency report on England/Wales statement
ACI Prensa report on Santiago Commission via National Catholic Register
ARCHBISHOP LORI ANNOUNCES UNDERWAY INVESTIGATION INTO BISHOP BRANSFIELD
September 25
Archbishop William Lori sent a letter to priests in West Virginia on September 25 assuring them that an investigation into Bishop Brunsfield, former ordinary for their diocese, was already underway.
The team is "comprised of three men and two women, including one non-Catholic, who bring a breadth of investigative expertise and experience to the their work," he said, promising a "a thorough, independent, and expeditious investigation."
The team was also looking into "more than three dozen calls to the hotline I established on the day of my appointment as Administrator."
POPE DEFROCKS PRIEST AT CENTER OF SCANDAL IN CHILE
POPE DEFROCKS PRIEST AT CENTER OF SCANDAL IN CHILE
September 28
The Vatican announced on September 28 that Pope Francis had taken the "exceptional" move to laicize Fernando Karadima, who in 2011 was found guilty of sex abuse by the Vatican and was at the center of a cover-up scandal by the Chilean bishops earlier in 2018. Karadima has always denied the accusations, and statutes of limitation have prevented his being prosecuted.
One of Karadima's victims, Juan Carlos Cruz, said on Twitter that "nothing Cardinal Ezzati or Errázuriz or the bishops of Chile say about Karadima matters," saying they should be in jail for their part in the cover-up.
Relevant reporting and statements
Catholic News Agency report via National Catholic Register
Juan Carlos Cruz tweet
The Vatican announced on September 28 that Pope Francis had taken the "exceptional" move to laicize Fernando Karadima, who in 2011 was found guilty of sex abuse by the Vatican and was at the center of a cover-up scandal by the Chilean bishops earlier in 2018. Karadima has always denied the accusations, and statutes of limitation have prevented his being prosecuted.
One of Karadima's victims, Juan Carlos Cruz, said on Twitter that "nothing Cardinal Ezzati or Errázuriz or the bishops of Chile say about Karadima matters," saying they should be in jail for their part in the cover-up.
Relevant reporting and statements
Catholic News Agency report via National Catholic Register
Juan Carlos Cruz tweet
MCCARRICK MOVED TO KANSAS
September 28
Twin statements from the D.C. archdiocese and the Diocese of Salina, KS announced on September 28 that Archbishop McCarrick had been transferred to St. Fidelis Capuchin Friary in Victoria, KS. The Salina diocese said that it will not be incurring any costs of McCarrick's stay.
Bishop Gerald Vincke of Salina, consecrated bishop scarcely a month prior, told the Washington Post that he had not been given a reason for the choice of St. Fidelis, but guess that it was due to the "very remote" location of the monastery. Victoria is just off of Interstate 70 in rural Kansas. Cardinal Wuerl had told Bishop Vincke that he had already spoken to Fr. Christopher Popravak, OFM Cap., provincial of the Capuchin's Mid-America Province about the arrangments.
There was an outcry about the decision to move the accused archbishop to property that neighbors an elementary school and is mere blocks from a high school. In the Kansas City Star, Principal Kent Michel of Victoria elementary was quoted as saying, “I was never made aware of it until I found out through social media today.”
Relevant reporting and statements
POPE URGES DAILY ROSARIES THROUGHOUT OCTOBER
September 29
In a Vatican statement on September 29, Pope Francis urged all Catholics to pray the Rosary daily for the protection of the Church, and to appeal to St. Michael the Archangel and the Blessed Virgin.
Prayer "is the weapon against the Great Accuser who ‘goes around the world seeking to accuse.’ Only prayer can defeat him," the statement said, adding that Catholics ought, "in moments of spiritual turbulence, to shelter beneath the mantle of the Holy Mother of God."
The Pope also called for the recitation of Pope Leo XIII's prayer to St. Michael at the end of all Rosaries, and recitation of the "Sub Tuum Praesidium" prayer to Mary.
The statement did not make specific reference to any particular events within the Church.