Questions Must Be Answered About McCarrick’s Use of Church Funds
The recently released report into the crimes of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick raises new questions about the disgraced prelate’s use of discretionary charitable funds. We call on Catholic officials to detail how these funds were spent and to inform affected donors if their money was used to keep McCarrick’s accusers from going to the public.
The Archbishop’s Fund is an account maintained for charitable purposes that is to be used at the prelate’s discretion. In the case of Theodore McCarrick, he apparently used the funds at least once to contribute to a settlement with a clergyman who had accused him of sexual abuse, sending $10,000 to the Diocese of Metuchen when they were settling with “Priest 2.” Similarly, this fund is likely the source of McCarrick’s regular “gifts of money to individual Vatican officials.” Given how many Catholic officials appear to have covered up for McCarrick, we can only wonder if these cash donations were truly gifts, or if they were meant to be payments for future silence.
This situation reminds us of that of former Bishop Michael Bransfield in West Virginia, who used his own discretionary fund to give large financial gifts to powerful prelates like Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore and Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York City. Clearly, there must be more oversight on how these discretionary funds are used if multiple prelates may have used them to keep allegations about clergy sexual abuse hidden.
The report mentions that there is a culture of bishops and cardinals donating money to each other. When it comes to men like McCarrick and Bransfield, it is clear why this culture should be changed. We call on the USCCB to investigate how McCarrick spent this money, demand that American prelates return these funds to the Church so they can be properly used for charity, and take steps to end this dangerous practice of exchanging money that can be used to buy silence or future favors.
CONTACT: Dan McNevin, SNAP Treasurer ([email protected], 415) 341-6417), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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