The rumors had been lurking in the shadows for years about Ted McCarrick, or Uncle Ted as some not-so-lucky boys and young men were told to call him. The gossip was that Cardinal Theodore McCarrick liked the company of young men and used them for his own sexual gratification.
The Allegations Come Out
It wasn’t until the summer of 2018 that the gossip and innuendo came out and led to his downfall. In short order, the dalliances with “young men” included allegations that he molested children. At the time, he was the retired Cardinal Archbishop of Washington DC. His was a spectacular fall from power and grace. McCarrick had served as an emissary for the Vatican and the President of the United States (in more than one administration). He was a prolific fundraiser and was known as a kingmaker, that is, he was the one who made decisions about who was to be made a bishop in the United States.
His fall from grace has been one more body blow for the Catholic Church in the United States. This week, the situation got worse with revelations that he ran a sex cabal out of his New Jersey beach house. Allegedly, other priests would assist him in procuring young men for his sexual forays.
McCarrick’s Pervasiveness in the Catholic Church
Since he had a long career in the Church dating back to his priestly ordination in 1959, the fallout touches more than one place. The Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Metuchen, the Archdiocese of Newark, and the Archdiocese of Washington, DC all are facing additional scrutiny as a result of McCarrick. Even the Vatican is under pressure. The Holy Father Pope Francis has yet to release a report, dubbed the McCarrick Report, about the entire saga. There is still no timetable for the release of that report.
All the while the dioceses and archdioceses where McCarrick served are being sued for his behavior. The media is focusing on who knew what and when did they know it. There have been various articles written about McCarrick’s episcopal sphere of influence which touches upon at least two US cardinals (Tobin and Wuerl). An effort has been made to map McCarrick’s social networks in order to better understand the problem of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
The McCarrick story is not over by a long shot. As more abuse lawsuits are filed, more sordid revelations about him will be revealed.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of child sexual abuse, please consider speaking to one of our experienced child sexual abuse lawyers to discuss your legal options.
