The late Pope John Paul II was warned about allegations of sexual impropriety by Theodore McCarrick, but chose to promote him to Archbishop of Washington anyway following McCarrick’s own denials and an investigation by American bishops that returned “inaccurate and incomplete information,” an internal Vatican investigation concluded Tuesday.
The report into the Vatican’s handling of the highest ranking Church figure to be defrocked over sexual abuse comes after two years of investigation, and years of scrutiny over how McCarrick was allowed to rise through the hierarchy.
Raised to cardinal in 2001 by John Paul, a year after he became Archbishop of Washington, McCarrick went on to become a power player both in the Church and in Washington DC, and was known for his fundraising and influence overseas.
He resigned from the College of Cardinals in 2018 and was defrocked by the Vatican last year after a Church trial found him guilty of sexually abusing minors.
Barry Coburn, an attorney for McCarrick, declined to comment Tuesday on the Vatican report.
Who’s to blame for McCarrick’s rise?
The Vatican’s report largely appears to absolve the current pope, Francis, from blame.
“Until 2017, no one … provided Pope Francis with