Editor’s Note: Late last week, we received an email from John Bellocchio, a survivor of sexual abuse at the hands of the late Theodore McCarrick as a young teenager in Hackensack, New Jersey.
He reached out concerning an April 29 column entitled, “The tragedy of Theodore McCarrick,” published by Angelus News, the official news outlet of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The author was Msgr. Richard Antall, a pastor in the Diocese of Cleveland and a prolific writer for various Catholic media outlets including the aforementioned Angelus News and Crisis Magazine. In his article about McCarrick, Antall wrote about the late ex-cardinal’s positive qualities — including his financial skill, organizational talents, and preaching ability — and lamented that McCarrick’s achievements would be overshadowed by scandal. Antall also criticized the Vatican’s McCarrick Report, suggesting it approached the sin of detraction. In the final analysis, Antall expresses his regret that McCarrick’s legacy will include “little reflection about achievement and history and less charity in general.”
Bellocchio described his reaction to Antall’s piece, writing to WPI: “Frankly disgusted by what I had read, I brought the matter to the Diocese of Cleveland,” addressing an email to Fr. Donald P. Oleksiak (Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia), Emily Ahlin (Chancellor), and Kathleen McComb (Victim Assistance Coordinator).
“Unsurprisingly, my letter wasn’t even acknowledged,” Bellocchio wrote. The Diocese of Cleveland has been led by Bishop Edward C. Malesic since 2020.
Below, we present the full text of John Bellocchio’s email to officials of the Diocese of Cleveland. —ML
Dear Father Oleksiak, Chancellor Ahlin, Ms. McComb:
I am writing to you not just as a survivor of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick’s abuse, but as a Catholic who continues to struggle with the Church’s uneven and often deeply painful response to the ongoing trauma of its victims. I have read with alarm and personal distress the recent article written by Monsignor Richard Antall, a priest of your Diocese and thus subject to Bishop Malesic’s jurisdiction, published in Angelus News on April 24, 2024:
https://angelusnews.com/voices/antall-mccarrick-tragedy/
While cloaked in the language of reflection, this piece strikes me—and many others—as a subtle yet very clear defense of McCarrick. It paints him not just as a disgraced cleric, but as a “tragedy” whose many accomplishments are lamentably “erased” by his sins. This framing is not only inappropriate—it is dangerous. It re-centers the story around a predator’s fall from grace rather than the lifelong harm inflicted on his victims. This is unacceptable, and Monsignor Antall should be heartily ashamed for having written this, and for having attached his name to it.
Msgr. Antall writes from a place of clerical insulation, at times even criticizing the Vatican’s report on McCarrick for being too revealing. He worries about McCarrick’s loss of legacy. I would ask: where is the concern for the psychological, spiritual, and emotional legacy left to those he abused? Where is the priestly compassion for victims?
This article has retraumatized me. It undermines what little progress has been made toward accountability and healing. It suggests, subtly but unmistakably, that McCarrick’s real tragedy is that he got caught, and that his “good works” are now overlooked. That is a narrative the Diocese of Cleveland should not allow to go unanswered.
Bishop Edward Malesic, as the shepherd of this diocese and a public advocate for victims, has an obligation to address this article. Silence on this matter would imply tacit approval of its message.
I respectfully request that Bishop Malesic publicly disavow the sentiments expressed in this article and affirm his support for survivors. I would also welcome the opportunity to speak with him directly, via Zoom, to share why this issue demands more than quiet regret—it demands moral clarity and leadership.
This is not about vengeance. It is about truth, and just reparations, and the Church’s duty to protect the vulnerable and speak plainly about the evil that has been done—not soften it, not intellectualize it, not reframe it as a loss for the abuser.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response, and to communicating further about this important matter.
Sincerely,
John Bellocchio
Image: Adobe Stock. By youriy.
John Bellocchio is a nationally respected dog trainer, trauma survivor, and advocate known for his groundbreaking work with blind and special needs dogs. A former educator, he turned his personal experience of surviving institutional abuse into a mission of healing, inspired by his black Labrador, Seamus. Through his company, Fetch and More™, John helps dog owners find hope and practical solutions, blending science, compassion, and advocacy.
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