The Vatican News website released the following under the headline “Holy See Press Office issues statement on ex-Cardinal McCarrick”:
After the publication of the accusations regarding the conduct of Archbishop Theodore Edgar McCarrick, the Holy Father Pope Francis, aware of and concerned by the confusion that these accusations are causing in the conscience of the faithful, has established that the following be communicated:
In September 2017, the Archdiocese of New York notified the Holy See that a man had accused former Cardinal McCarrick of having abused him in the 1970s. The Holy Father ordered a thorough preliminary investigation into this, which was carried out by the Archdiocese of New York, at the conclusion of which the relative documentation was forwarded to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In the meantime, because grave indications emerged during the course of the investigation, the Holy Father accepted the resignation of Archbishop McCarrick from the College of Cardinals, prohibiting him by order from exercising public ministry, and obliging him to lead a life of prayer and penance.
The Holy See will, in due course, make known the conclusions of the matter regarding Archbishop McCarrick. Moreover, with reference to other accusations brought against Archbishop McCarrick, the Holy Father has decided that information gathered during the preliminary investigation be combined with a further thorough study of the entire documentation present in the Archives of the Dicasteries and Offices of the Holy See regarding the former Cardinal McCarrick, in order to ascertain all the relevant facts, to place them in their historical context and to evaluate them objectively.
The Holy See is conscious that, from the examination of the facts and of the circumstances, it may emerge that choices were taken that would not be consonant with a contemporary approach to such issues. However, as Pope Francis has said: “We will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead” (Philadelphia, 27 September 2015). Both abuse and its cover-up can no longer be tolerated and a different treatment for Bishops who have committed or covered up abuse, in fact represents a form of clericalism that is no longer acceptable.
The Holy Father Pope Francis renews his pressing invitation to unite forces to fight against the grave scourge of abuse within and beyond the Church, and to prevent such crimes from being committed in the future to the harm of the most innocent and most vulnerable in society. As previously made known, the Holy Father has convened a meeting of the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences from around the world for next February, while the words of his recent Letter to the People of God still resonate: “The only way that we have to respond to this evil that has darkened so many lives is to experience it as a task regarding all of us as the People of God. This awareness of being part of a people and a shared history will enable us to acknowledge our past sins and mistakes with a penitential openness that can allow us to be renewed from within” (20 August 2018).
What the Holy See means by “in due course” and by “thorough study” is not defined in the release.
For example, how transparent will that “thorough study” of archival materials be? Who will undertake that study? Members of the Curia only? Independent investigators? Will there be attestations by those who have overseen these documents presently or in the past that no documents have been removed or destroyed? Will the documents themselves be available for inspection by the public?
Or, will the results of this “thorough study” appear in a summation composed by the Vatican which will purport to be the findings of the so-called investigation.
What tends to contribute to suspicions about such headlines is the fact that, within the press release about this “thorough study,” the very specific allegations of McCarrick’s sexual assaults are not mentioned nor is there any reference whatsoever regarding the accusation that Pope Francis himself knew of McCarrick’s perverse behavior.
Additionally, it appears the Holy See has already established a built-in exonoration of itself in the clever statement that “the Holy See is conscious that, from the examination of the facts and of the circumstances, it may emerge that choices were taken that would not be consonant with a contemporary approach to such issues”.
In other words, if it is found that the Holy Father or Vatican personnel acted unethically or immorally, it was a different time then and no one should be judged for what they did based upon contemporary standards!
The Press Office might think itself clever with these spins. Do they really think that the vast majority of Catholics are stupid?
Such sly insinuations insult my intelligence and that of most Catholics I know.
Frankly, nothing in this release inspires confidence and, in fact by its slyness, undermines the trust the Holy See wishes to reclaim.
So much for the headline! So much for the bravado!
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.
We shall see whether or not the fulfillment is as great as the promise being made in this press release.
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