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Pope Accepts Cardinal's Resignation Following Abuse Allegations

The Vatican says Pope Francis has ordered Cardinal Theodore McCarrick to live a life of "prayer and penance."
Posted at 10:41 AM, Jul 28, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-28 10:41:51-04

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick following allegations of sexual abuse.

Last month, McCarrick was removed from public ministry. An investigation found credible allegations that he had sexually abused a teenager 47 years ago when he was a priest in New York. McCarrick has said he's innocent.

The Vatican says the pope has ordered McCarrick to live a life of "prayer and penance" until the accusations against him can be investigated in a "canonical trial."

The New York Times reports McCarrick's resignation will be the first from the College of Cardinals since 1927.