Vatican Expels U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick Over Sexual Abuse Scandal

The Vatican has expelled 88-year-old U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, after he was found guilty of soliciting for sex while hearing confession and of sexual crimes against minors and adults.

U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick who is the first cardinal to be defrocked in the church’s sex abuse scandals, can no longer celebrate Mass or other sacraments, wear clerical vestments or be addressed by any religious title. The Vatican expelled the former archbishop of Washington, after Pope Francis led an extraordinary gathering of bishops to tried to find a solution sexual abuse allegations against priests in the catholic church.

McCarrick, 88, who became the first Catholic prelate in nearly 100 years to lose the title of cardinal in July, appealed the decision which was made secretly in the first instance on January 11, but it was upheld earlier this week and the pope has ruled that no further appeal would be allowed.

The former Cardinal who became a power-broker as archbishop of Washington from 2001 to 2006, has been living in seclusion in a remote friary in Kansas, had before now responded publicly to only one of the allegations, saying he has “absolutely no recollection” of an alleged case of sexual abuse of a 16-year-old boy more than 50 years ago.