Know-Nothing Cardinals

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Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, responding to the sex abuse scandal involving former Cdl. Theodore McCarrick: "I was shocked."

The #CatholicMeToo movement wants cardinals to come clean about the sexual abuse of vulnerable adults.

On July 28, Bp. Michael Olson of Fort Worth said, "Church leadership who knew of the former cardinal's alleged crimes and sexual misconduct and did nothing [should] be held accountable."

In spite of payouts for sex abuse settlements for McCarrick in New Jersey, Cdl. Joseph Tobin of Newark and Cdl. Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., where McCarrick lives, claim to know nothing of Uncle Ted's crimes.

Catholic media asked Bp. Michael Olson of Fort Worth about McCarrick: "Why did it take so long for him to be demoted?" Olson responded, "I don't know. And I think that's a question at hand that requires explanation."

In spite of living with McCarrick for six years while the payouts were being made, Vatican official Cdl. Farrell also proclaims ignorance.

Boston's Cdl. Sean O'Malley is also washing his hands clean of the scandal, in spite of knowing about a 2015 letter detailing McCarrick's abuse.

On July 29, Bp. Edward Scharfenberger of Albany issued a statement referring to the U.S. bishops' Dallas Charter for the Protection of Minors, saying it "did not go far enough so as to hold cardinals, archbishops and bishops equally, if not more, accountable than priests and deacons."

The #CatholicMeToo movement isn't targeting an individual prelate or seeking a simple change of policy, but rather demanding accountability for bishops, who knew of sex abuse and allowed it to continue.

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