Cardinal Sean O’Malley issued a statement Monday denying allegations he ignored a letter the detailed sexual abuse allegations against former Archbishop Theodore McCarrick.
Rev. Boniface Ramsey says he sent a letter to the Archdiocese of Boston’s Pastoral Center in June 2015, when the O’Malley was serving as President of the Pontificial Commission for the Protection of Minors, that detailed sex abuse allegations against McCarrick that took place over the span of three decades during his time as a bishop and archbishop in New Jersey.
In O’Malley statement, he claimed his priest secretary, Rev. Robert Kickham, responded to the letter, stressing that individual cases, “fell outside the mandate of the Commission.”
The letter was allegedly never brought to O’Malley’s attention.
“My first knowledge of Fr. Ramsey’s letter occurred when media reports of the letter were published last month,” O’Malley’s statement read. “I apologize to Fr. Ramsey for not having responded to him in an appropriate way and appreciate the effort that he undertook in seeking to bring his concerns about Archbishop McCarrick’s behavior to my attention.”
O’Malley went on to acknowledge that he should have seen the letter said he takes responsibility.
“In retrospect, it is now clear to Fr. Kickham and to me that I should have seen that letter precisely because it made assertions about the behavior of an Archbishop in the Church,” O’Malley said. “I take responsibility for the procedures followed in my office and I also am prepared to modify those procedures in light of this experience.”
O’Malley added that, like the letter, he was unaware of McCarrick’s sexual crimes until recent media reports.
“I understand not everyone will accept this answer given the way the Church has eroded the trust of our people,” O’Malley said. “My hope is that we can repair the trust and faith of all Catholics and the wider community by virtue of our actions and accountability in how we respond to this crisis.”
The cardinal described the Bishops Conference as being “anxious” to understand how McCarrick became a bishop, archbishop, and cardinal despite the priest vetting process.
“We must be certain that this never happens again,” he wrote. “That is why the Bishops Conference are requesting an investigation by the Holy See with the participation of lay people.”
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