Former US cardinal Theodore McCarrick defrocked over sex abuse allegations

Pope Francis has defrocked former US cardinal Theodore McCarrick after Vatican officials found him guilty of soliciting for sex while hearing Confession and sexual crimes against minors and adults, the Holy See said today.

The punishment for the once-powerful prelate, who had served as the Archbishop of Washington, was announced five days before Francis is to lead an extraordinary gathering of bishops from around the world to help the Catholic Church grapple with the crisis of sex abuse by clergy and systematic cover-ups by church hierarchy.