Former Washington, D.C., archbishop Theodore McCarrick, who was the highest-ranking American Cardinal to be accused of sexually abusing minors and seminarians, died on Thursday at the age of 94.

McCarrick, who was stripped of his priesthood in the aftermath of the allegations, reportedly died in Missouri. His death was confirmed by current Washington Archbishop Cardinal Robert McElroy, per the National Catholic Reporter.

“I am especially mindful of those who he harmed during the course of his priestly ministry,” McElroy said in a statement. “Through their enduring pain, may we remain steadfast in our prayers for them and for all victims of sexual abuse.”

Accusations against McCarrick surfaced in 2018, after the Vatican investigated the claims and found enough evidence to deem the allegations credible. He has been accused of sexually abusing people as far back as the 1970s.

He did not face any official charges until 2021, when he was accused of assaulting a teenage boy at a wedding reception in Massachusetts in 1974. But the charges were suspended last year after a judge ruled he was incompetent for trial because of his dementia.

McCarrick argued that he was innocent of the allegations, stating he did not remember committing them, but he did not contest the Catholic Church's findings in 2018, according to the New York Times.

“While I have absolutely no recollection of this reported abuse, and believe in my innocence,” he said in a statement, “I am sorry for the pain the person who brought the charges has gone through, as well as for the scandal such charges cause our people.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.