James Grein, a Virginia man who said Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick, former archbishop of Washington, sexually abused him for years beginning when he was 11, gave his testimony about what occurred Dec. 27 before a judicial vicar for the New York Archdiocese.
The book, titled “Il Giorno del Giudizio” (“Judgment Day”), was released Nov. 6 and reconstructs the events leading to Archbishop McCarrick’s rise in the hierarchy while countering claims made by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, former nuncio to the United States.
A former nuncio to the United States acknowledged hearing rumors about the sexual misconduct of Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick already in 1994.
Pope Francis, Cardinal Marc Ouellet and an official Vatican statement seem to be laying the groundwork for an admission that mistakes were made in handling allegations that Archbishop Theodore McCarrick engaged in sexual misconduct and even abuse.
Promising a thorough review of how the Vatican handled allegations of sexual misconduct by former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the Vatican acknowledged that what happened may fall short of the procedures that are in place today.
Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former nuncio to the United States who called on Pope Francis to resign for allegedly lifting sanctions placed on Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick, now says those “sanctions” were “private” and neither he nor now-retired Pope Benedict XVI ever was able to enforce them.
While recent accusations by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano have created tension in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis is approaching the situation calmly, the Vatican secretary of state said.
Several American bishops responded quickly upon hearing of the charges leveled by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former Vatican ambassador to the United States, that church leaders — including Pope Francis — had been told years ago of the abuse allegations lodged against retired Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick.
