Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington, D.C., has been temporarily barred from any public ministry following the substantiation of a claim against him of sexual abuse of a minor.
According to a press release from the Archdiocese of Washington, the incident in question occurred while McCarrick was serving as a priest in the Archdiocese of New York.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York headed the investigation, which involved an incident from nearly 50 years ago. The evidence was determined “credible and substantiated.”
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in Pope Francis' name, has instructed McCarrick “to refrain from any public ministry or activity until a definite decision is made.”
In a statement of his own, Cardinal McCarrick says he was “shocked by the report” and maintains his innocence. While he “has no recollection of this reported abuse,” he is “sorry for the pain the person who brought the charges has gone through.”
