Pope Francis accepts resignation of embattled Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl

Pope Francis and Cardinal Donald Wuerl
(Image credit: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)

On Friday, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C. Wuerl, who previously served as Pittsburgh's bishop, was named by a Pennsylvania grand jury as one of the Catholic officials who covered up clergy sexual abuse of children. He also became embroiled in the scandal centered around his predecessor in Washington, former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. All bishops submit their resignations to the pope when they turn 75; Wuerl turns 78 in November. The Vatican did not immediately name Wuerl's successor.

Wuerl, once viewed as a reformer on clergy sex abuse, flew to the Vatican in mid-September to discuss his resignation with Francis. The pope's "decision to provide new leadership to the archdiocese can allow all of the faithful, clergy, religious, and lay, to focus on healing and the future," Wuerl wrote in a statement released Friday. "It permits this local church to move forward. Once again for any past errors in judgment I apologize and ask for pardon. My resignation is one way to express my great and abiding love for you the people of the Church of Washington."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.