Former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, defrocked in a sex abuse scandal, dies at 94
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Theodore McCarrick, the disgraced former Newark archbishop and cardinal who was cast out of the ministry after decades-old sexual abuse allegations involving young men and boys ultimately came to light — sparking a reckoning in the Catholic church and a soul-searching moment for the Vatican — has died.
The former cleric, who had been in poor health, was 94 years old.
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, confirmed his death.
“I am keenly aware of the trauma this news may reignite for those victimized by Mr. McCarrick. Having listened to many survivors, I recognize the deep pain and betrayal they have endured. I continue to offer my prayers in support as they navigate their journey toward healing,” he said in a statement. “As a Church, we remain steadfast in our commitment to listening to survivors, supporting their healing, and ensuring that such betrayals are never repeated.”
Bishop James F. Checchio of the Diocese of Metuchen, where McCarrick also served as bishop, said his death “brings to an end a life that apparently was lived in the brightest spotlights and the darkest shadows of the Church,” adding in a statement, “This is a time for prayer for all those who have been wounded or have had their trust betrayed.”
He died on Thursday in Missouri where he had been living, according to Vatican media.
McCarrick was the highest-ranking American official to be removed from the priesthood. He was laicized, or dismissed from the clerical state — considered one the harshest forms of punishment that can be issued by the church — after the Vatican found him found guilty of soliciting sex while hearing confession, and sexually abusing minors and adult seminarians over decades.
The scandal surrounding McCarrick came amid sweeping investigations across the country into the dark secrets of the past of abusive members of the clergy. Soon came painful disclosures by a Pennsylvania grand jury of sex abuse by priests who preyed upon children for decades, and a clergy abuse task force that was launched by the New Jersey attorney general.
His downfall came quickly following allegations that became public in 2018 that he had abused a teen 50 years earlier while serving as a priest in New York.
Content retrieved from: https://www.nj.com/news/2025/04/ex-cardinal-theodore-mccarrick-defrocked-in-a-sex-abuse-scandal-that-still-reverberates-is-dead-at-94.html.
