The University of Notre Dame recently announced that it would not rescind the honorary degree it bestowed upon a disgraced cardinal who is facing allegations of sexually abusing minors and his subordinates.
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s resignation was accepted by Pope Francis in July after it was revealed that the prominent Catholic had sexually abused an altar boy in the 1970’s. The New York Times later published a story of yet another allegation, reporting that McCarrick had sexually abused the child of a family friend for years.
Similar reports claim that McCarrick would invite seminarians to stay with him at a beach house owned by the Catholic Church. During these times, he would request that one of the seminarians share a bed with him and refer to the Catholic prelate as “Uncle Ted.”
McCarrick became a prominent face of the Catholic Church and eventually oversaw the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., as its archbishop, receiving several honorary degrees from Catholic institutions. Among them is the University of Notre Dame, which recently announced that it would not be revoking the honorary degree it awarded to McCarrick in 2008.
“The only honorary degree that the University of Notre Dame has rescinded was that of Bill Cosby, and this action was taken only after judicial proceedings in criminal court concluded with a guilty verdict,” reads a statement from President Rev. John Jenkins, saying he will allow the judicial process to “reach a conclusion before taking action.”
A group of Notre Dame alumni known as the Sycamore Trust, however, sent a letter to Jenkins urging him to swiftly revoke McCarrick’s honorary degree.
“On behalf of the officers and trustees of Sycamore Trust, I write to urge the swift revocation of the honorary degree Notre Dame awarded Archbishop Theodore McCarrick in 2008. There is no time to waste,” the letter from William Dempsey, president of Sycamore Trust, states.
“Notre Dame should be seen as a leader, not a laggard, in this important matter,” Dempsey’s letter concludes.
According to Crux, at least three other Catholic institutions awarded McCarrick with honorary degrees, though some of them are already in the process of revocation, including Fordham University.
“In taking these steps, we acknowledge the extraordinary and long-lasting harm done to children who were sexually abused by clergy members,” a statement from the university reads. “While we can never fully repair the sins of the past, we must respect the experience of abuse survivors, and accord them all the love and compassion of which we are capable.”
Additionally, the Catholic University of America announced July 30 that it would be taking similar action, saying its Board of Trustees voted unanimously to rescind McCarrick’s degree.
“The entire Catholic University community acknowledges the tragedy of sexual abuse at the hands of clergy, and the deep and lasting pain and suffering of survivors. We offer our prayers and pastoral support for the survivors, that they and their families encounter healing and peace,” the university commented in a statement. This is the first honorary degree that Catholic University of America has revoked.
Georgetown University, St. Peter’s University, the College of New Rochelle, Siena College, and the University of Portland have also awarded McCarrick honorary degrees.
Anthony Gockowski (@AGockowski) is a Minnesota-based journalist and a former editor for Campus Reform. He was previously a fellow for The Daily Caller.
