Transparency is missing from Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s Press Release. Dolan masterfully kept the lid on these serious allegations until the final verdict was handed down by the Vatican. After all, the Catholic faithful is surely entitled to know of sex abuse allegations against a prominent prelate. How long has this investigation been pending?

As soon as NY law enforcement found the allegations credible, it would have been highly prudent and precautionary to alert the public and other potential victims that an allegation of sex abuse was found credible against McCarrick. Why wasn’t this done?

Why wasn’t the public alerted that an an independent forensic agency found the allegations credible? Why wasn’t the public alerted that the Archdiocese of New York’s review board also found the allegations credible. Dolan’s press release seems to indicate that the Archdiocese announcement wasn’t made until the Vatican finally approved McCarrick’s removal from ministry.

This slow walking investigation raises serious questions pertinent to the protection of children and the transparency of clergy abuse investigations:

*When was the Archdiocese first aware of the allegation against Cardinal McCarrick?

*How long has this investigation been pending from from start to finish?

*Was Cardinal McCarrick removed from ministry pending this investigation? If not, why not?

*What were the nature of the allegations by the victim against McCarrick?

*What was the context of the abuse?

*Was Fr. McCarrick in a parish at the time, if so why wasn’t the parish named?

*Aren’t parishioners of the parish entitled to know that these allegations are credible?

*Was the victim a student, seminarian, altar boy, relative?

*Why has the Archdiocese of New York failed to even identify the gender of the victim? The press release carefully avoids identifying the sex of the victim by stating, “We also thank the victim for courage in coming forward and participating in our Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program, as we hope this can bring a sense of resolution and fairness.”

*Why haven’t the allegations of sexual abuse been released to the public?

*In Cardinal Dolan’s press release, the Archdiocese claims that McCarrick was “cooperative” with the investigation, but still maintains his innocence? How does this translate to cooperation?

*If there has been a finding of a credible allegation by several investigative agencies, isn’t a claim of innocence and denial by the predator an ongoing danger to minors?

*Was any political pressure exerted on behalf of Cardinal McCarrick’s innocence to short circuit the investigation?

*Where is the transparency in this investigation? The public has virtually no information about the facts surrounding this clerical abuse of a minor. Dolan’s press release reads like a sanitized bureaucratic response.

Over 80% of minor sex abuse victims of clerics are male. Yes, boys are overwhelming preyed on by clerics. It’s time to clean up the Catholic Church. It starts with disavowing Pope Francis’ dangerous, inane and immoral “who am I to judge” excuse.

(AP Photo)

This institution needs a #HimToo Movement.

Elizabeth Yore is an international child protection attorney who has worked on several clergy abuse cases.