UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter
August 16, 2018
By Brian Roewe
Head of US bishops: ‘Failure of episcopal leadership’ caused ‘a moral catastrophe’
The head of the U.S. bishops said they will invite the Vatican to conduct an apostolic visitation to the country to lead a “full investigation” into questions still surrounding revelations of sexual abuse by former cardinal Archbishop Theodore McCarrick.
In addition, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo said the bishops will take steps to create channels for easier reporting of abuse and misconduct by bishops, and will push for better procedures under canon law to resolve complaints made against bishops.
The statement from DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, came Aug. 16 as the church’s clergy sex abuse scandal has resurfaced in furious fashion.
Two days earlier, the Pennsylvania attorney general released a 1,300-page grand jury report documenting historical accounts of clergy sexual abuse in six dioceses of that state that documented the abuse of more than 1,000 children by 300-plus priests over 70 years, with the number of victims believed to be even higher.
That report followed the continued fallout from revelations in June of alleged sexual abuse of seminarians and young adults by McCarrick, once seen as an influential leader both within the church and in politics, having served as archbishop of Washington D.C. The accusations, which McCarrick has denied, led the 88-year-old retired prelate in late July to resign his place in the College of Cardinals.
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