Cardinal Daniel DiNardo addressed what he called the “grievous moral failure” in the Church that allowed Archbishop McCarrick’s abuse to be kept undisclosed for decades.
“These failures raise serious questions,” DiNardo’s statement said. “Why weren’t these allegations of sins against chastity and human dignity disclosed when they were first brought to Church officials? Why wasn’t this egregious situation addressed decades sooner and with justice? What must our seminaries do to protect the freedom to discern a priestly vocation without being subject to misuse of power?”
DiNardo said that the specific charges made against Archbishop McCarrick would be dealt with by the Holy See through a canonical process, where he “will rightly face judgment,” but that clear steps needed to be taken by the American Church as well.
To this end, DiNardo announced that he had convened the USCCB’s Executive Committee to discuss how the American bishops could best respond to the still unfolding scandal. The meeting was the first of several that will take place in the coming months, including at the Conference’s Administrative Committee meeting in September and the General Assembly in November.