The former archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, has been removed from public ministry as he faces an allegation that he sexually abused a teen 50 years ago.
The Archdiocese of New York, where he was serving as a priest at the time of the abuse, found “the allegations credible and substantiated,” according to a statement on the Archdiocese of Washington website.
“While I have absolutely no recollection of this reported abuse, and believe in my innocence, I am sorry for the pain the person who brought the charges has gone through, as well as for the scandal such charges cause our people,” McCarrick, 87, said in a statement.
McCarrick, who has long been a political force and beloved figure during his five-year tenure in one of the highest positions of the Catholic Church is now retiring after serving sixty years as a priest.
“My sadness was deepened when I was informed that the allegations had been determined credible and substantiated,” McCarrick said. “I realize this painful development will shock my many friends, family members, and people I have been honored to serve.”
Ordained to the priesthood in 1958 in New York City, he served in a variety of Catholic education and clergy positions, traveling to many different countries as a human rights advocate.
Former President Bill Clinton presented him with the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights, just one of many honors he has received, in December 2000, according to a biography on the archdiocese website.
