U.S. Catholic Bishops Vote Against Releasing Disgraced Cardinal’s Records

The Catholic Bishops of the United States voted against releasing the church’s records on a disgraced Cardinal who stands accused of sexually abusing multiple priests during their time in seminary school.

“The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) voted today against asking the Vatican to release its records on former-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick,” LifeSite News said in a Wednesday report.

McCarrick was the former Archbishop of Washington D.C. He resigned in disgrace in July after two men were found to have “credibly accused” him of sexual abuse when they were minors. The resignation paved the way for Archbishop of Ulpiana Carlo Viganò to release an affidavit claiming that Pope Francis knew of McCarrick’s long history of alleged abuse and did nothing. The Catholic Church has been embroiled in the scandal ever since, with more than 10 state attorneys general ordering all dioceses in their states to turn over records of sexual abuse going back decades.

“In what was eventually an 83 to 137 vote, the USCCB decided against asking the Vatican for its documentation on the disgraced prelate,” the report said. “The discussion that ensued revealed equal parts fear among the members of the USCCB:  fear of anger by laity and priests back in their home dioceses; fear that if they don’t write something they might appear to be passive and uncaring pastors; and fear of offending or being misunderstood by the Holy See.”

The Bishops did not leave the meeting without pretending to make a serious request of the Vatican, will never be fulfilled.

“Recognizing the ongoing investigation of the Holy See into the case of Archbishop McCarrick, be it resolved that the bishops of the  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops encourage the Holy See to release all the documentation that can be released consistent with canon and civil law regarding the misconduct of Archbishop McCarrick,” they said.

According to the report, some Bishops even laughed off the request.

“Bishop Michael Fors Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth,Texas said he found the entire motion to be ‘subjective and vague.’ He suggested that it will serve to make the USCCB ‘appear like we are doing something when we are not,” the report said.

 

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