VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, Cardinal Marc Ouellet and an
official Vatican statement seem to be laying the groundwork for an admission
that mistakes were made in handling allegations that Archbishop Theodore E.
McCarrick engaged in sexual misconduct and even abuse.
But they also make clear that his ordination as a bishop (of
Metuchen, N.J.), appointment as archbishop — first of Newark, N.J., and then
Washington — and his induction into the College of Cardinals all took place
during the pontificate of St. John Paul II.
The first formal sanctions on Archbishop McCarrick were imposed
by Pope Francis in June after an investigation found credible allegations of
the sexual abuse of minors.
Cardinal Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, stated
unequivocally Oct. 7 that now-retired Pope Benedict XVI never imposed sanctions
on then-Cardinal McCarrick, so it is untrue that Pope Francis
"invalidated" them, as Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the former
nuncio to the United States, claimed.
But, Cardinal Ouellet said, rumors about Archbishop McCarrick did
reach the Vatican years ago, so both he and his predecessor, Cardinal Giovanni
Battista Re, made requests to Archbishop McCarrick "not to travel or to
make public appearances, in order to avoid new rumors about him."
"The congregation's decision was inspired by prudence, and
the letters from my predecessor and my own letters urged him, first through the
apostolic nuncio, (Archbishop) Pietro Sambi, and then through you (Archbishop Viganò),
to lead a life of prayer and penance for his own good and for the good of the
church," Cardinal Ouellet wrote in an open letter to Archbishop Viganò.
Like many people in the church, Cardinal Ouellet asked: "How
is it possible that this man of the church, whose incoherence has now been
revealed, was promoted many times, and was nominated to such a high position as
archbishop of Washington and cardinal?"
The answer, he said, is that "there were failures in the
selection procedures implemented in his case" and "the concerns that
were raised by witnesses should have been examined more closely."
The Vatican press office Oct. 6 published a statement saying Pope
Francis has decided that as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
continues its investigations into the sex abuse allegations against Cardinal
McCarrick, "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" will take place.
The goal of the study, the statement said, is "to ascertain
all the relevant facts, to place them in their historical context and to
evaluate them objectively."
The mention of the "historical context" is important.
The Vatican itself explained Oct. 6: "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, Sept. 27,
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
statement continued.
Obviously, many Catholics are outraged that church leaders who
seem to have ready answers for how laypeople should live and behave have been
so slow to figure out a way to stop sexual abuse by clergy and to hold bishops
and cardinals accountable for their personal behavior and for the cover-up.
Pope Francis, while refusing to respond directly to Archbishop Viganò's
accusations, told reporters in late September that he understands Catholics,
including young Catholics, are scandalized by the reports of abuse and cover-up.
However, he also said the church is still learning and progress
has been made, but it is not right to judge the past based on what is known and
considered today the best way to proceed.
Referring explicitly to the Pennsylvania grand jury report on abuse
released in mid-August, the pope said the cases were numerous "until the
early 1970s," but "in more recent times, they decreased because the
church realized that she had to grapple with this in another way. In times
past, these things were covered up," both in the church and within
families.
Pope Francis told reporters flying back to Rome with him from
Estonia that "a historical fact should be interpreted with the hermeneutic
of the time in which this fact occurred, not with today's hermeneutic."
Popular sensitivities and church teaching have developed over the
centuries, he said, pointing to colonization and the awareness of the rights of
indigenous people or attitudes toward capital punishment. "Even the
Vatican, as a state — when it was a pontifical state — had the death penalty;
the last one, a criminal, a young man, was beheaded around 1870. But then moral
consciousness grew; the moral conscience grew."