The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
‘Proud’ pope accepts resignation of cardinal
Vatican, critics of abuse scandal at odds over move.
Pope Francis on Friday accepted the resignation of Washington’s archbishop, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, a trusted papal ally who became a symbol among many Catholics for what they regard as the church’s defensive and weak response to clerical sex abuse.
But even as Wuerl becomes one of the highest-profile prelates to step down in a year of prominent abuse scandals, Pope Francis offered the cardinal a gentle landing, praising him in a letter and allowing him to stay on as the dayto-day administrator of the Washington archdiocese until a successor is found.
In his letter, Francis said that Wuerl’s “nobility” had prompted him to step down, even though he had “sufficient elements” to justify his actions.
“Of this, I am proud and thank you,” Francis wrote.
The Vatican’s announcement ended Wuerl’s 12-year tenure as archbishop of Washington and marked the most direct consequence to date from a scalding August Pennsylvania grand jury report that depicted decades of systemic sexual abuse within the church — some of it occurring in Pittsburgh, where Wuerl served as bishop. The 900page report portrays Wuerl as being inconsistent in his handling of sexual abuse, and in the aftermath of the report’s release, the meticulous cleric — who once had a reputation as a controversy-free reformer — faced mounting anger and calls for his resignation.
Friday, some Catholics said that Francis — with his unusual decision to keep Wuerl in place on an interim basis — was being overly protective of an ally, overlooking the seriousness of the cardinal’s case and undermining his own attempts to deal forcefully with the consequences of abuse. More than five years after becoming pope, Francis is confronting a wave of abuse-related scandals that amount to the greatest crisis of his papacy.
A Washington diocese spokesperson said that the 77-year-old Wuerl will retain his place in the powerful Congregation of Bishops, the section of the Roman Curia that helps to pick bishops.
“It’s very disappointing,” said David Clohessy, the former national director of Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP). “This continues a long, long pattern in the church hierarchy — a refusal to admit what is so clear to the rest of us. Wuerl is guilty of serious wrongdoing. You can claim other bishops are even worse, and there is some truth to that. But the simple fact is that he endangered children.”
On Friday, the Archdiocese of Washington’s chancellor and general counsel, Kim Viti Fiorentino, described Wuerl’s “courageous and sacrificial commitment” to the church in Washington and pushed back at the Pennsylvania grand jury report’s findings.
“Unfortunately, the Cardinal’s pioneering leadership in the enhancement, implementation and enforcement of historically innovative and rigorous child protection policies was overshadowed by the report’s flaws and its interpretation by media,” said Fiorentino, who did not elaborate on those criticisms.
In a letter released Friday addressed to the “brothers and sisters” of the Washington archdiocese, Wuerl wrote that new leadership was needed so the church could “begin to focus on healing and the future.”
“I am sorry and ask for healing for all of those who were so deeply wounded at the hands of the Church’s ministers,” Wuerl wrote. “I also beg forgiveness on behalf of Church leadership from the victims who were again wounded when they saw these priests and bishops both moved and promoted.”