Nate’s Mission and SNAP Respond to Death of Disgraced Former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick: “This Is Not Justice”
Survivors' Last Chance for Justice Ended with Wisconsin Case Suspension
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 4-4-2025
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) responds today to the death of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, one of the most notorious and powerful abusers in the modern history of the Catholic Church.
Let us be clear: McCarrick was never held accountable for his crimes. While he was eventually removed from public ministry, defrocked, and stripped of his red hat, he never stood trial for the vast harm he inflicted on children, young adults, seminarians, and others under his power. His death marks the end of his life—but it does not mark justice for his survivors.
But the McCarrick story is not just about one man. It is about the system that enabled him. For decades, church officials at the highest levels knew about McCarrick’s abuse and chose to protect him, allowing him to continue assaulting children and vulnerable seminarians. He was promoted, celebrated, and shielded by legions of bishops, cardinals, and even popes. Many of those same officials remain in positions of power today, unaccountable and unrepentant. One of them could become the next pope.
There are many more McCarricks still hiding in plain sight within the Catholic hierarchy. SNAP will continue to fight for their exposure and accountability for their crimes. This is why SNAP announced the creation of Conclave Watch in Rome last month. Conclave Watch is a coordinated effort by survivors around the world to expose the abuse records of cardinal-electors and papal candidates and demand support for a binding, universal zero tolerance law.
Quote from Peter Isely, Founding Member of SNAP and Chair of the SNAP Global Advocacy Working Group:
“McCarrick may be dead, but his many victims are not. We are still here, still living with the harm he caused — and with the church’s failure to stop him. There is no reason to believe the next conclave won’t include more McCarricks — influencing, protecting, and electing one of their own, just like he did at the last conclave. That’s why the public must know who these candidates are. And we intend to make sure they do.”
See Nate's Mission's previous response to suspension of McCarrick case in Walworth County, WI:
PRESS STATEMENT HERE