McCarrick is a former cardinal and archbishop emeritus of Washington and was a powerful figure in ecclesiastical, diplomatic and political circles in the US and around the world.

The 88-year old was publicly accused last year of sexually abusing at least two adolescent boys and of engaging for decades in coercive sexual behaviour toward priests and seminarians.

He is the highest-ranking churchman to be laicised. It means he can no longer celebrate Mass or other sacraments, wear clerical vestments or be addressed by any religious title.

His conviction and laicisation (defrocking) followed an administrative penal process conducted by the CDF. This process is a much-abbreviated penal mechanism used in cases in which the evidence is so clear that a full trial is unnecessary.

McCarrick was found guilty of "solicitation in the Sacrament of Confession and sins against the Sixth Commandment with minors and with adults, with the aggravating factor of the abuse of power".

Because Pope Francis personally approved the guilty verdict and the penalty of laicisation, it is formally impossible for the decision to be appealed.

According to a statement from the Vatican on 16 February, the decree finding McCarrick guilty was issued on January 11 and followed by an appeal, which was rejected by the CDF on February 13.

McCarrick was notified of the decision on February 15 and Pope Francis "has recognised the definitive nature of this decision made in accord with law, rendering it a res iudicata (ie, admitting of no further recourse)".

His punishment was announced five days before the opening of Francis's extraordinary gathering of bishops from around the world to help the church grapple with the crisis of sex abuse by clergy and systematic cover-ups by church hierarchy.

The resultant scandals have shaken the faith of many Catholics and threatened Francis' papacy.

Source

• Catholic Herald
• Time
• The Washington Post
• America
• independent.ie

Noting Viganò had urged him to tell the truth about Archbishop Emeritus Theodore McCarrick, Ouellet - with Pope Francis's permission - offered Viganò his "personal testimony, as the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops."

Ouellet says his response is based partly on his personal knowledge "regarding the events concerning McCarrick and his presumed links with Pope Francis" and partly on documents in the Congregation for Bishops' archive.

The events Ouellet refers to constitute the subject of what he calls Viganò's "sensational public denunciation, as well as [his] demand that the Holy Father resign."

Addressing his letter to "Dear fellow brother, Carlo Maria Viganò," Ouellet went on to denounce the former nuncio's accusations against Francis, charging him with "blasphemy" for calling into question the pope's faith and asking him to repent.

"Your present position appears to me incomprehensible and extremely reprehensible, not only because of the confusion that it sows in the People of God, but also because of the accusations that seriously damage the good name of the Successors of the Apostles," Ouellet told Viganò.

Ouellet provided Viganò with numerous reasons for disbelieving his testimony against Francis. These include:

• lack of written evidence
• that he "strongly" doubted McCarrick was of interest to Francis in 2011 "to the point [Viganò] believed him to be, since ... he was an 82-year-old Archbishop Emeritus who had been without an appointment for seven years"
• the written brief the Congregation of Bishops prepared for Viganò at the beginning of his service in 2011 said only one thing about McCarrick

The written brief focused on McCarrick's situation as an emeritus Bishop: he was supposed to obey certain conditions and restrictions due to rumours surrounding his past behaviour.

Source

• America Magazine
• Vatican News
• Image: CBC.ca