Vatican Defrocks Former US Cardinal Theodore McCarrick Over Sex Abuse

Defrocking means that McCarrick, 88, who now lives in a friary in Kansas after he lost his title of cardinal last year, will not be allowed to celebrate Mass or other sacraments.

The Vatican’s press office said that, on 11 January, the Holy See’s doctrinal watchdog office, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, had found McCarrick guilty of “solicitation in the Sacrament of Confession, and sins against the Sixth Commandment with minors and adults, with the aggravating factor of the abuse of power”.

The officials “imposed on him the penalty of dismissal from the clerical state”.

The Sixth Commandment regards sexual behaviour.

In addition, McCarrick, when he was ordained a priest in 1958, took a vow of celibacy, in accordance with church rules on priests.

McCarrick appealed against the penalty, but the doctrinal officials earlier this week rejected his recourse, and he was notified on Friday, the Vatican announcement said.