The first cardinal to be defrocked by the Pope over allegations of sexual abuse has died in the United States, a senior US churchman said on Friday.

Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington and the most senior American prelate in the Catholic church to face claims of abuse, died in the state of Missouri aged 94, the New York Times reported, citing a Vatican statement.

His death was also confirmed by the current Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Robert McElroy.

“Today I learned of the death of Theodore McCarrick, former Archbishop of Washington,” a statement said.

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

McCarrick’s career in the Catholic church had been long and distinguished, having served as an emissary on human rights for former pope John Paul II, a role that took him to conflict zones and brought him into contact with world leaders such as Cuba’s Fidel Castro.

A former archbishop of New York, he was made archbishop in the US capital in 2000 and rubbed shoulders with US presidents including Bill Clinton and George W Bush.

He also was made a cardinal, one of the most senior members of the clergy and part of a slate of electors tasked with selecting a new pope.

But after allegations of historical misconduct emerged in 2018, a Vatican investigation found he had assaulted a teenager five decades earlier.

He was also suspected of other sexual assaults against minors and young men.

Pope Francis, under fire for a growing abuse scandal in the Catholic church, expelled him from the priesthood in 2019, stripping him of his right to say mass, even in private.

The Catholic church has struggled for decades to root out abusers within its ranks, with frequent accusations of cover-ups extending to its highest levels.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (Snap), which campaigns for sexual predators to be held accountable, on Friday called McCarrick “one of the most notorious and powerful abusers in the modern history of the Catholic church”.

McCarrick “was never held accountable for his crimes”, a statement said.

“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.”