Investigating Theodore McCarrick Again? Unanswered Questions Have Some Saying the Catholic Church Should Do So, by Matthew McDonald

At 93 and apparently suffering from dementia, former cardinal Theodore McCarrick is unlikely to be tried on criminal charges of sexual abuse. It’s likewise doubtful he’ll ever testify in court in pending civil lawsuits against him. And the Vatican seems to have moved on, having issued a long report about him almost three years ago, more than a year and a half after Pope Francis dismissed him from the clerical state.

But some Catholics remain frustrated with what they see as unanswered questions. Among them:

· Who helped McCarrick rise in the Church hierarchy?

· Which bishop candidates did he champion, and why?

· Who in the hierarchy knew about McCarrick’s behavior with teenagers and young men, when did they know it, and why didn’t they stop it?

In November 2020, the Vatican released a 449-page report on McCarrick that describes how the smooth-talking cleric rose through the ranks and consolidated his position through charm, talent and cash gifts.  …

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