Pope withdraws retired archbishop

NEW YORK — The retired Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., whose sexual misconduct with adults led to previously undisclosed legal settlements, has been removed from public ministry and faces further punishment over a “credible” allegation that he sexually abused a teenager while he was a priest in New York more than 40 years ago, the church announced Wednesday.

Pope Francis ordered 87-year-old Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s removal pending further action that could include expulsion from the priesthood after the allegation was found to be “credible and substantiated.” McCarrick is one of the highest-ranking U.S. church officials accused in a sexual abuse scandal that has seen thousands of priests implicated.

McCarrick, the Washington archbishop from 2000-06, said he was shocked by the allegation and denied it in a statement distributed through the church. He said he cooperated in the investigation and accepted the pope’s decision out of obedience to the church.

Separately, the Newark, N.J., archdiocese, where McCarrick was a bishop and archbishop, said it was aware of three-decades-old allegations against him involving sexual misconduct with adults — no cases there involving minors — and that two of them resulted in legal settlements.

The Newark Archdiocese declined to provide additional details, citing confidentiality concerns.