Cardinal Theodore McCarrick
Bishop of Metuchen: 1981-1986 | Archbishop of Newark: 1986 to 2000
Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of New York in 1959. Prior to his transfer to Metuchen, McCarrick worked in various parishes within the Archdiocese of New York and spent two years on “special assignment” at Catholic University in Puerto Rico.
In 1978, Cardinal McCarrick was elevated to Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York where he worked until 1981 when he was appointed as the founding bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen. In 1986, McCarrick was appointed Archbishop of Newark. In late 2000, Pope John Paul II appointed McCarrick Archbishop of Washington. He was elevated to Cardinal in 2001.
Pope Francis removed Cardinal McCarrick from ministry in June 2018 after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced against McCarrick. He was allowed to resign from his position in July 2018 and was suspended from public ministry. In February 2019, Cardinal McCarrick was removed from the clerical state (“defrocked”) at the conclusion of an internal church adjudication process conducted by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Cardinal McCarrick is the highest-ranking Catholic official to be removed from the priesthood because of allegations of child sexual abuse. Numerous survivors of abuse have come forward alleging sexual abuse by McCarrick.
If you were sexually abused by a priest or other Catholic clergy, teacher or coach, we want to help. Contact us confidentially today.
Vatican Report on Cardinal Theodore McCarrick
On November 10, 2020 the Vatican released a 400+ page report following a two-year investigation into McCarrick, his rise to power, and those complicit in his decades-long sexual misconduct. The investigation, conducted by attorney Jeff Lena, was the first in which the Vatican employed a non-clergy professional to investigate sexual misconduct within the Catholic Church. In addition to a review of statements and other documents from survivors and witnesses regarding McCarrick’s sexual misconduct across his career, “the Report describes the Holy See’s institutional knowledge and decision-making related to McCarrick.” DOWNLOAD THE REPORT.
You Are Not Alone. We Are Here to Help.
Before making a decision concerning such serious and sensitive matters, we encourage all survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy, Boy Scout leaders, teachers, coaches or other authority figures to consult with legal counsel before proceeding with a claim. Our law firm of legal professionals and advocates has more than three decades of experience working with survivors of sexual abuse and litigating cases against perpetrators of sexual abuse and the institutions that protect them. Contact us today. Your information will remain completely confidential.
