REPORT ON THE HOLY SEE’S INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND DECISION-MAKING RELATED TO FORMER CARDINAL THEODORE EDGAR MCCARRICK

by Secretariat of State of the Holy See

Genres: Nonfiction

461 pages, ebook

Published November 10, 2020

Reviews

[Francisco Becerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If one member suffers, all suffers together with it” (1 Cor 12:26). The report concludes with a biblical quote that summarizes it completely. McCarrick was no ordinary man: he was intelligent, smart, educated, savvy, resourceful, workaholic, organized... and very prideful. He was the kind of manager every company in the world would like to have. He was a source of envy and need for his peers, and fear to his subordinates. He practiced something that seems innocuous, but that is a source of corruption: gift-giving to those in high places. He also liked to continually being noticed by highlighting every accomplishment he obtained. With his hard work, knowledge and talents, he paves his way to the highest ecclesiastical positions. But he liked to have his “indulgences”. Throughout the report it is clear that those who denounced him were very few compared to all the people that he had access to. At the beginning, all the denunces were deemed without support, diffamation to an exemplary man. John Paul II viewed them in the light of his memories in a communist and paranoid environment: campaings to diminish a seemingly examplary man. Under Benedict XVI, the denounces were taken more seriously, but still deemed unsubstantiated, product of already troubled priests; the Church was more worried about the bad publicity that might emerge from the case than from the possibility that McCarrick was indeed guilty. He was not followed upon, and other members of the Church got benefices from his work. Until Pope Francis and with the help of the media more accusations emerged, and finally he was expelled... when he had over 80 years old.

Unlike what was told in the media, the case is very complex: what do you do with an “employee” that is highly successful, but have deep problems and abuses other people? What do you do if you have some accusations, but most people surrounding the denuncers tells you that something could have happened, but they witnessed nothing? What happens when people of authority only listen to their peers opinions and they dismiss their subordinates? This report is not only for catholics, the media, or lawyers: this is for everyone interested in how corruption works, and the dilemmas it imposes upon our judgement.

[Filip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since abuse scandals in Catholic Church became public everybody wonders how did church officials ignored the problem for so long. Common answer is that pope and other church officials protected abusers and tried to hide scale of the crisis.
This is not the case, in fact it is more complicated. Highest ranking church official that abused kids is cardinal Theodore McCarrick. For decades he used his possition and influence to abuse who knows how many seminaries. He silenced them and used his many connections to avoid punishments for decades.
Where was the Church in his case? This report indicates how Church officials simply didn't know how McCarrick operates. There were rumors and gossips surounding him but no hard evidence. McCarrick was notorius liar and at the same time active in high Church circles. He was very persuasive with donors and became valuable asset for financing church programes. It was very hard to imagine that so high lever active churchman could do so many evil to minors. He even lied to pope John Paul II. when he was in talks for position of cardinal. Wojtila had backgraound in communist Poland and he was aware of communist tactics of discrediting clergy as abusers and sexual deviants. So when weird rumors surrounding McCarrick surfaced Wojtila rejected them as lies.

This report is really eye-opening. It goes to show how abusers used perfid tactics in avoiding punishment and it also shows how Church failed to act. At the same time it gives many reasons why church responded so badly and in many cases I can understand why. Church learned on many mistakes and abuse will not repeate itself.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I use the word “appalling” a lot, but this truly was. The amount of psychological and moral obtuseness at work here is stunning. If nothing else, read the catering hall incident. It’s blindingly awful and darkly funny.