Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington who faced accusations of sexually abusing both minors and adults, has died, according to an announcement from his successor, Cardinal Robert McElroy.
“Today, I learned of the passing of Theodore McCarrick, the former Archbishop of Washington. At this moment, my thoughts are particularly with those he harmed during his time as a priest,” McElroy of Washington said in a statement.
“Through their ongoing suffering, may we remain steadfast in our prayers for them and for all individuals who have been victims of sexual abuse.”
McCarrick was 94 years old, Vatican News reported.
McCarrick resigned from the College of Cardinals in 2018 and was subsequently dismissed from the priesthood by the Vatican in 2019 after the church found him guilty of sexually abusing minors.
Prior to the allegations surfacing, McCarrick was widely known as a highly effective networker, a frequent traveler, and a skilled fundraiser with close ties to influential figures in both the Vatican and Washington. However, the scandal triggered a significant crisis for both the US Church and the Vatican, especially considering his rise through church ranks despite evidence suggesting that senior officials were aware of the sexual misconduct allegations.
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His case became one of the most prominent abuse scandals within the US Catholic Church, as he was the highest-ranking cleric in the country to face criminal charges related to abuse. He also holds the distinction of being the first prelate in living memory to lose his position as a cardinal.
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McCarrick was later criminally charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14 – to which he pleaded not guilty. The legal filing stated that in one instance, McCarrick assaulted the victim, a teenage boy, at a wedding reception in Massachusetts in 1974. However, in 2023, McCarrick was deemed unfit to stand trial due to dementia.
In 2018, Pope Francis initiated an investigation into the McCarrick case following the allegation involving a minor and in response to a dossier from Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a now excommunicated former papal diplomat, who called for Francis’s resignation over the McCarrick matter.
The Vatican report – a comprehensive 449-page document representing the Vatican’s first detailed internal inquiry into a high-profile abuse case with published findings – concluded that the late Pope John Paul II had appointed McCarrick as Archbishop of Washington, DC, and a cardinal despite being aware of the allegations of misconduct with adults.
The report further revealed that by the year 2000, the Vatican was aware of accusations that McCarrick had engaged in sexual misconduct with a priest and was known for sharing his bed with young adult men and trainee priests.
Francis, who submitted himself to questioning as part of the inquiry, was found not to have been provided with any documentation concerning the allegations against McCarrick. The Pope removed McCarrick from the College of Cardinals and ordered a church trial when the allegation involving a minor came to light.
McCarrick was ordained as a priest in 1958 and served as the Archbishop of Newark from 1986 to 2000 before his appointment as the Archbishop of Washington DC. He was elevated to the position of cardinal in 2001.
