The move by Pope Francis, announced by the Holy See on Saturday, was the first time a cardinal in the United States has been removed from the priesthood.

Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick was removed from ministry last month for sexually abusing an altar boy. But for decades, the church overlooked his harassment of adult seminarians.

.The disclosure is the latest to come from the Catholic Church in recent months, and is one of the largest from an individual diocese.

It remains to be seen whether Senate Republicans will act collectively to try to stop the president or how far into unchartered territory they are willing to follow him.