By Megan Curling

In 1985 a Lousiana priest pled guilty to 11 counts of child molestation, marking the first time that child sexual abuse by a Roman Catholic priest was publicized in the United States. 17 years later, the Boston Globe’s ‘Spotlight’ team uncovered an overwhelming amount of victims, leading to a consistent flow of similar cases revealed ever since.

       In early August of this year, a Pennslyvania grand jury approved the release of 900 pages of investigative reports showing that over 300 priests had abused more than 1,000 children in at least six dioceses since 1947. All the while high ranking church officials overlooked the situation.

   One of the most frequently mentioned and disturbing findings were those of Theodore McCarrick, who served as a high ranking member of The New York, Metuchen and Newark Archdioceses. The former Cardinal was said to have sexually abused several seminary students, as well as an altar boy. He has denied all allegations.

   On August 22, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, former Vatican ambassador to the U.S., wrote and released a letter claiming that in June of 2013, he informed Pope Francis of McCarrick’s crimes but that the Pope took no action.

   In addition to these claims, Virano also notes that Washington D.C. Cardinal Donald Wuerl knew of the scandal, a statement that Wuerl denies. The letter, perhaps most notably, calls for the resignation of the Pope himself.

   “Pope Francis must be the first to set a good example to cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick’s abuses and resign along with all of them,” wrote Virano, speaking up for those who question how leaders, such as McCarrick, continue to rise in ranks throughout the church after such accusations.

   The Pope has met with Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who shared that the committee has three main goals of opening an investigation into McCarrick, new ways to report complaints and to configure more effective ways to solve future complaints.

   “No one gets the pass in our society because of a position you hold or because of a particular faith or what have you… if they hold substance, someone should be held accountable,” RJR civics and economics teacher Cristofer Wiley added.

   Both the report and letter were published when Pope Francis was on a trip to Ireland where he spoke with abuse survivors. While there, however, he announced that he does not plan to comment on the accusations made.

   “I would want to give it a little bit of time, but then again I am a sixteen year old girl in highschool. I have that liberty,” Catholic RJR sophomore Maribeth Mohr said. “He is the leader of an entire denomination of the world’s largest religion and to say, ‘I’m not going to comment,’ that’s just not what you should do… especially in catholiscism, [where] you focus on truth and preaching truth.”

   U.S. Bishops will meet in Baltimore, Maryland in November where it is expected that DiNardo’s plans will be voted upon. Parts of the plan also require Vatican approval.

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