So, Once More, When Are We Going to See the McCarrick Report from the Vatican?

Are they waiting for him to die?

Remember back in the Fall of 2018 when the bishops voted on the resolution to ask the Vatican to release the documents on the misconduct of Cardinal (now Mister) Theodore McCarrick? The measure failed on a vote of 137 to 83.  My own bishop Michael Burbidge said at the time "It did not get passed, not because we don't believe this is a very serious situation and it needs to be resolved, but because the proposal was merely encouraging the Holy See to do what they have promised to do and are doing. I didn't feel a strong need to give support to that." (Source)

Here we are two years later and, let's face it, the "serious situation" has pretty much disappeared into the ether. The Wuhan virus has helped of course. Ho-hum, who cares about the McCarrick report when there are such pressing matters for the bishops to concern themselves with -- like protecting people from the virus by eliminating the Sunday Mass obligation and making the other sacraments hard to access. (Don't forget to sign up for electronic giving!)

Bishop Burbidge went on to say, “There are many questions that need to be answered. And until they are, there is a great deal of unsettlement. It's something that Cardinal DiNardo will be bringing to his meeting in February.”

And here we are another year and a half from 2019 and all we hear are crickets. Almost a year ago in November when the bishops met in conference again, Cardinal Sean O'Malley told them that the Vatican would publish the report, "soon, if not before Christmas, soon in the new year." (Source)

Really? That was Christmas 2019 and the beginning of 2020? How long does it take to give birth to a report?

So we continue to wait -- it's almost two years now that we've been promised the report. Where is it?  In the file with the unanswered dubia?

O'Malley admitted that, “The long wait has resulted in great frustration on the part of bishops and our people, and indeed a harsh and even cynical interpretation of the seeming silence."

Yup, we're pretty "cynical" these days about expecting anything from the Vatican or our bishops. Talk about transparency and openness is cheap; action is non-existent. 

Will the bishops meet in November or will the Wuhan virus turn their meeting into a virtual event? And if they do meet, will one question come up about the McCarrick report? Will Bishop Burbidge who acknowledges that the situation is "serious" bring it up? 

I'm going to write and ask Bishop Burbidge if he'll be introducing that old resolution that wasn't necessary back in 2018 because the proposal was merely encouraging the Holy See to do what they have promised to do and are doing." 

"Are doing?" Are they?

My guess is if the bishops do meet, Cardinal McCarrick will not be on the agenda. As for the bishops -- they'll be hiding behind their masks.