Donald Cardinal Wuerl
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Donald William Wuerl (born November 12, 1940) is an
American Catholic The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the pope, who as of 2025 is Chicago, Illinois-born Leo XIV. With 23 percent of the United States' population , the Catholic Church is the cou ...
prelate who served as
Archbishop of Washington The Archdiocese of Washington () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church for the District of Columbia and several Maryland counties in the United States. The Archdiocese of Washington is home to the Ca ...
from 2006 to 2018. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of the
Archdiocese of Seattle The Archdiocese of Seattle () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in western Washington State in the United States. The diocese was known as the Diocese of Nesqually from 1850 to 1907. The mother ch ...
(1986 to 1987) and Bishop of Pittsburgh (1988 to 2006).
Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
made him a
cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...
in 2010. Wuerl is widely viewed as a theological moderate, and is well known in the church for his ability to forge consensus between different factions. Questions arose in 2018 of whether Wuerl had adequately dealt with allegations of
sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...
against clergy under his jurisdiction. A 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report criticized how he handled sexual abuse cases during his time as bishop in Pittsburgh. Wuerl has denied mishandling the cases. There were additional accusations that Wuerl, despite initially denying it, was aware of sexual abuse accusations against former Cardinal
Theodore McCarrick Theodore Edgar McCarrick (July 7, 1930 – April 3, 2025) was an American Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal who was Archbishop of Newark from 1986 to 2000 and Archbishop of Washington from 2001 to 2006. In 2019, McCarrick was defrocked by Po ...
, his predecessor in Washington. On October 12, 2018,
Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
accepted Wuerl's resignation as Archbishop of Washington. Wuerl remained in charge of the archdiocese as its
apostolic administrator An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...
until Francis appointed his successor,
Wilton Daniel Gregory Wilton Daniel Gregory Jr. (born December 7, 1947) is an Catholic Church in the United States, American Catholic prelate who served as Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, archbishop of Washington from 2019 to 2025. Pope Francis made him a ...
, in 2019.


Early life and education

Donald Wuerl was born on November 12, 1940, in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. He was the second of four children of Francis and Mary Anna (née Schiffauer) Wuerl. He has two brothers, Wayne and Dennis, and a sister, Carol. Wuerl's father worked nights weighing freight cars for the
Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad ( reporting mark PRR), legal name as the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, also known as the "Pennsy," was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At its ...
, and served in the
US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. His mother died in 1944 and his father married Kathryn Cavanaugh in 1946. Donald Wuerl expressed an interest in becoming a priest early in life. He even held pretend masses for his brothers and sisters at home. Wuerl received his early education at the
parochial school A parochial school is a private school, private Primary school, primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathem ...
of St. Mary of the Mount Parish in the
Mount Washington Mount Washington is an ultra-prominent mountain in the state of New Hampshire. It is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River. The mountain is notorio ...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh, graduating in 1958. He attended Saint Gregory Seminary in
Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, for his freshman and sophomore years of college from September 1958 through May 1960. He then attended the
Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is one of two pontifical universities of the Catholic Church in the United States – the only one that is not primarily a ...
in Washington, D.C., where he was a Basselin Scholar at the
Theological College A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and Christian theology, theology, generally to prepare them for ordinatio ...
. Wuerl earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1962 and a master's degree in 1963. Wuerl continued his studies at the
Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Prie ...
in Rome. He earned a
Master of Theology Master of Theology (, abbreviated ThM, MTh or MTheol, or ''Sacrae Theologiae Magister''; abbreviated STM) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a ...
degree from the
Pontifical Gregorian University Pontifical Gregorian University (; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana), is a private university, private pontifical university in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as a part of the Roman College, founded in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyo ...
in 1967. While a student in Rome, Wuerl was able to observe the proceedings of the
Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...
.


Early career

Wuerl was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Pittsburgh on December 17, 1966, by Bishop Francis Frederick Reh. After his ordination, Wuerl was assigned as assistant pastor at St. Rosalia Parish in Pittsburgh's Greenfield neighborhood and as priest-secretary to Bishop John Wright. After Wright was elevated to cardinal in 1969, Wuerl became his full-time priest-secretary in
Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...
from 1969 until Wright's death in 1979. While in Rome. Wuerl attended the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas ''Angelicum'' where he obtained a
Doctor of Sacred Theology The Doctor of Sacred Theology (, abbreviated STD), also sometimes known as Professor of Sacred Theology (, abbreviated STP), is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church, being the ecclesiastical equ ...
degree in 1974. Because Wright was recovering from surgery and confined to a wheelchair, Wuerl, as Wright's priest-secretary, was one of three non-cardinals permitted inside the
conclave A conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to appoint the pope of the Catholic Church. Catholics consider the pope to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and the earthly head of the Catholic Church. Concerns around ...
that selected Karol Wojtyla as
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
in 1978. (Wright had missed the first of the two 1978 conclaves.) In 1976, Wuerl co-wrote with Thomas Comerford Lawler and Ronald David Lawler a
catechism A catechism (; from , "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of Catholic theology, doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult co ...
for adults, ''The Teaching of Christ.'' It has been reprinted several times and has been widely translated. Wuerl served as rector at
Saint Paul Seminary The Saint Paul Seminary (SPS) is a Catholic Church, Catholic major seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. A part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, SPS prepares men to enter th ...
in Pittsburgh from 1981 to 1985. In 1982, he was appointed executive secretary to Bishop John Aloysius Marshall of Burlington, Vermont, who was leading a Vatican-mandated study of US
seminaries A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clerg ...
.


Episcopal career


Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle

On December 3, 1985, Wuerl was appointed titular bishop of
Rosemarkie Rosemarkie (, from meaning "promontory of the horse stream") is a village on the south coast of the Black Isle peninsula in Ross-shire (Ross and Cromarty), northern Scotland. Geography Rosemarkie lies a quarter of a mile east of the town of ...
and as an auxiliary bishop of Seattle by
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
. Wuerl was consecrated bishop on January 6, 1986, at
St. Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initiall ...
in Rome by the pope. As auxiliary bishop, Wuerl and Seattle Archbishop
Raymond Hunthausen Raymond Gerhardt "Dutch" Hunthausen (August 21, 1921 – July 22, 2018) was an American Catholic prelate who served as bishop of Helena in Montana from 1962 to 1975 and as archbishop of Seattle in Washington State from 1975 to 1991. Biograp ...
worked in adjoining offices without conflict for several months. However, in May 1986, the two men found themselves with opposing positions on proposed state legislation to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment. At that point, Hunthausen learned for the first time that the Vatican had charged Wuerl with responsibility — "complete and final decision-making power" — for several key areas normally within the Archbishop's control: * worship and liturgy; * the archdiocesan tribunal, which considers requests for marriage annulment;
seminarians A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clerg ...
, priestly formation and laicized priests; * moral issues * health care and ministry to LGBTQ people. Hunthausen revealed the division of authority between him and Wuerl in September 1986. While some chancery officials expressed support for Wuerl, some questioned his role and saw little impact on the archdiocese a year after his appointment. In November, the
US Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 2001 after the merger of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Co ...
expressed its objections to the Vatican's restrictions on Hunthausen. In February 1987, the Vatican formed a commission of US bishops, headed by Cardinal
Joseph Bernardin Joseph Louis Bernardin (April 2, 1928 – November 14, 1996) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1972 until 1982, and as Archbishop of Chicago from 1982 until his death from pancreatic cancer. B ...
, to investigate the situation between Wuerl and Hunthausen in Seattle. Wuerl met privately with John Paul II, but declined to comment on the meeting, saying "I'm just going to wait and see what the commission does". In May 1987, following the commission review, John Paul II restored Hunthausen's full authority as bishop and appointed then Bishop Thomas Joseph Murphy as
coadjutor bishop A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) ("co-assister" in Latin) is a bishop in the Latin Catholic, Anglican and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in administering the diocese. The coa ...
to assist him. Wuerl resigned as auxiliary bishop of Seattle on May 26, 1987. He later said that remaining in Seattle became "unworkable", with many parishioners blaming him for the conflict with Hunthausen. Wuerl moved to a Pittsburgh suburb to await his next appointment by the Vatican. Wuerl and Hunthausen eventually became friends, with Wuerl saying that Hunthausen taught him a great deal about the work of being a bishop.


Bishop of Pittsburgh

Wuerl was appointed as the eleventh bishop of Pittsburgh on February 12, 1988, by John Paul II. He was installed on March 25, 1988. One of the biggest problems facing the diocese was the financial losses of its parish schools. The diocese had built many parishes during the era when Catholic immigrants were swelling the population of Pittsburgh to work in the steel mills. It established the parishes along ethnic lines so that parishioners could attend services in their native languages and maintain their national traditions. This resulted in the diocese having as many as eight parishes within blocks of each other. After World War II, the diocese made a major effort to build a school for every parish. These schools were usually staffed by nuns who were given nominal compensation. The economics of the Pittsburgh Catholic schools began to break down in the 1970s. First, the
Baby Boom A baby boom is a period marked by a significant increase of births. This demography, demographic phenomenon is usually an ascribed characteristic within the population of a specific nationality, nation or culture. Baby booms are caused by various ...
period had subsided, resulting in a reduction in the student population. Second, Catholics became less likely to send their children to Catholic schools. Third, in response to the Second Vatican Council, many sisters began choosing missions unrelated to education. To replace these nuns in schools, the diocese had to hire more lay teachers with higher salaries. Wuerl asked his committee of lay advisors to address the debt and
deficit spending Within the budgetary process, deficit spending is the amount by which spending exceeds revenue over a particular period of time, also called simply deficit, or budget deficit, the opposite of budget surplus. The term may be applied to the budg ...
associated with Catholic education in Pittsburgh. In 1988, the committee determined that 48 of 333 parishes owed a total of $5.6 million. The diocese announced a rescue plan in February 1989, with the diocese forgiving $1.1 million loaned to the parishes for insurance along with the Parish Share Program. In addition, the diocese promised low-interest loans to parishes to refinance their other obligations. Despite the financial condition of the diocese, Wuerl decided to expand its health services. He worked with hospitals and community groups to create a group home for people with
HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
. In 2003, Wuerl conducted a $2.5 million fundraising campaign to create the Catholic Charities Free Health Care Center, serving the uninsured
working poor The working poor are working people whose incomes fall below a given poverty line due to low-income jobs and low familial household income. These are people who spend at least 27 weeks in a year working or looking for employment, but remain und ...
. In 1989, Wuerl merged Sacred Heart and St. Paul Cathedral High Schools to establish
Oakland Catholic High School Oakland Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic college preparatory school for girls, located in the Oakland (Pittsburgh), Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, ...
, using the St. Paul building in the
Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh . Wuerl launched and hosted a television program, ''The Teaching of Christ'', in 1990. He taught at
Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( ; also known as Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a Private university, private Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of ...
in Pittsburgh as a distinguished service professor. Wuerl in 1999 became a
chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...
for the Order of Malta, Federal Association USA, attached to the
Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic lay religious ...
. Wuerl also wrote regular columns in ''Columbia'', the major publication of the
Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic Church, Catholic Fraternal and service organizations, fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney, Blessed Michael J. McGivney. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. ...
in the United States. In March 1994, Wuerl closed 73 diocesan buildings, including 37 churches, and reduced the number of parishes from 331 by 117 through mergers. The diocese was operating 214 parishes when Wuerl left in June 2006 to become archbishop of Washington. Wuerl's plan, ''The Parish Reorganization and Revitalization Project'', was used as a model for other dioceses seeking parish suppression. From 1994 until 2003, as bishop of Pittsburgh, Wuerl served as a member of the board of governors of the
Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Prie ...
in Rome (chair, 1998 to 1999), representing the Pennsylvania-New Jersey Region (Region III) of the USCCB. In 2008, as archbishop of Washington he was again elected to the college's board of governors, this time representing the Washington DC-Delaware-Maryland-Virginia-West Virginia region of the conference (Region IV). Under Wuerl, the diocese began to emphasize placing women into positions of responsibility and authority. * Rosemarie Cibik, a former superintendent of public instruction, was appointed as the first lay superintendent of Catholic schools in Pittsburgh. * Rita Joyce, a canon and civil lawyer, became the first lay member of the diocesan marriage tribunal. * Sister Margaret Hannan was appointed as associate general secretary of the diocese. She later became chancellor, the highest canonical post that for a lay person.


Archbishop of Washington

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
appointed Wuerl as archbishop of Washington on May 16, 2006. He was installed on June 22, 2006, at the
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic minor basilica and national shrine in Washington D.C. It is the largest Catholic church building in North America and is also the tallest habitable building in Wa ...
in Washington, D.C. and received the
pallium The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : pallia) is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropolitan bish ...
from Pope Benedict XVI on June 29, 2006. In April 2008, Wuerl hosted the apostolic visit of Benedict XVI to the
District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
. Wuerl served as chair of the board of directors of the
National Catholic Educational Association The National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) is a private, professional educational membership association. It represents over 150,000 educators in Roman Catholic Church, Catholic schools, universities, and religious education programs i ...
starting on December 12, 2005, and was also
chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
of The Catholic University of America. In September 2010, the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is a department of the Roman Curia in charge of the religious discipline of the Catholic Church. The Dicastery is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of t ...
named Wuerl as its delegate in the United States for facilitating the implementation of the apostolic constitution '' Anglicanorum coetibus.'' The constitution was issued by Benedict XVI in November 2009 for
Anglicans Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
who wished to convert to Catholicism. Wuerl also headed the
US Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 2001 after the merger of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Co ...
(USCCB) ''ad hoc'' committee to support that implementation.


Cardinal

On November 20, 2010, Benedict XVI elevated Wuerl to the College of Cardinals in a public
consistory Consistory is the anglicized form of the consistorium, a council of the closest advisors of the Roman emperors. It can also refer to: *A papal consistory, a formal meeting of the Sacred College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church *Consistor ...
held at
Saint Peter's Basilica The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (; ), is a church of the Italian Renaissance architecture, Italian High Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the cit ...
in Vatican City. He was created
Cardinal-Priest A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. As titular members of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, they serve as advisors to the pope, who is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. ...
of S. Pietro in Vincoli. Benedict XVI later appointed Wuerl to the following posts: * Member of the
Congregation for the Clergy The Dicastery for the Clergy, formerly named Congregation for the Clergy (; formerly the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy and Sacred Congregation of the Council), is the dicastery of the Roman Curia responsible for overseeing matters regard ...
and the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity The Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, previously named the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), is a dicastery within the Holy See whose origins are associated with the Second Vatican Council which met intermittently fr ...
(December 2010) * Relator-general (recording secretary) of the 2012 World Synod of Bishops meeting on the New Evangelization (October 24, 2011) * Member of the
Pontifical Council for Culture The Pontifical Council for Culture () was a dicastery of the Roman Curia charged with fostering the relationship of the Catholic Church with different cultures. It was erected by Pope John Paul II on 20 May 1982 and in 1993 he merged the Po ...
for a five-year renewable term (December 10, 2011) * Member of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) is a department of the Roman Curia in charge of the religious discipline of the Catholic Church. The Dicastery is the oldest among the departments of the Roman Curia. Its seat is the Palace of t ...
(April 21, 2012) In 2011, Wuerl served on a committee of the
US Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 2001 after the merger of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Co ...
that criticized the American Catholic theologian Elizabeth Johnson. The bishops stated that her popular 2007 book, ''Quest for the Living God,'' contravened Catholic doctrine in several areas. The committee itself faced criticism for not following accepted protocols for dealing with conflicts with theologians. Wuerl later stated that he had offered to meet with Johnson regarding the book, but she did not respond to his invitations. Wuerl was a cardinal elector who participated in the
2013 papal conclave A papal conclave was held on 12 and 13 March 2013 to elect a new pope to succeed Benedict XVI, who had resigned on 28 February 2013. Of the 117 eligible Cardinal electors in the 2013 papal conclave, cardinal electors, all but two attended. On th ...
that elected Pope Francis. Francis appointed Wuerl to the
Congregation for Bishops The Dicastery for Bishops, formerly named Congregation for Bishops (), is the department of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church that oversees the selection of most new bishops. Its proposals require papal approval to take effect, but are usu ...
(December 16, 2013).


United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Wuerl is said to have worked as a consensus builder on ideological conflicts over issues such as liturgical translation and communion for politicians favoring abortion rights for women during the 1990s and 2000s. Wuerl was a supporter of the
Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People There have been many lawsuits, criminal prosecutions, and scandals over sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy in the United States of America. The issue of child sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests was first publicized in 1985 when a Louisia ...
by the USCCB. The charter required that any clergyman who sexually abuses a child never again serve in ministry.


Public positions

Reverend Thomas J. Reese, a
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
priest and journalist, said in 2006 that " uerl isquite orthodox theologically, but he doesn't like to play cop; he's not an authoritarian person." In August 2018, Reese described him as an ideological moderate with regard to Catholic theological disputes, stating, "He's not an old leftie, he's not a right-wing culture warrior. ... He was totally enthusiastic about John Paul II, and then Pope Benedict, and now he's totally enthusiastic about Pope Francis. There are not many people in the church who are totally enthusiastic about all three of them." Journalist John L. Allen Jr. in December 2018 said that Wuerl "was able to forge behind-the-scenes consensus because he was trusted by virtually all parties as someone who wouldn't embarrass them in public, and because he was seen as at least somewhat sympathetic to their points of view."


Religion and politics

In cases where politicians and officeholders take policy positions that clash with church doctrine, Wuerl said the decision to offer communion should be made case-by-case:
"Our primary job is to teach and try to convince people. The tradition in our country has not been in the direction of refusing Communion, and I think it's served us well."


LGBTQ rights

In 2009, the
Council of the District of Columbia The Council of the District of Columbia (or simply D.C. Council) is the legislative branch of the government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the district is not part of any U.S. state and is overseen ...
began consideration of a bill giving certain rights to individuals in
same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...
s. The archdiocese pressed the council to include
religious liberty Freedom of religion or religious liberty, also known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice ...
provisions to protect the archdiocese's ability to provide social services (e.g. adoption services) in accordance with Catholic teaching on marriage. On November 12, 2009,
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
characterized the archdiocese as delivering an "ultimatum" to the city. An article the same day in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' characterized the archdiocese as making a "threat". In a November 22 reply to the ''Post,'' Wuerl stated that there was "no threat or ultimatum to end services, just a simple recognition that the new requirements by the city for religious organizations to recognize same-sex marriages in their policies could restrict our ability to provide the same level of services as we do now." On November 26, 2009, Wuerl signed an ecumenical statement, known as the '' Manhattan Declaration'', calling on
evangelicals Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of the Christian g ...
, Catholics, and
Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...
Christians not to comply with rules and laws permitting
abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...
, same-sex marriage, and other practices that go against their religious consciences. In December 2009, on the day that the council passed the same-sex marriage bill, Joe Solmonese, president of the
Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for L ...
, a same-sex marriage advocacy organization, wrote that Wuerl had "refused to alter his official position" to reduce social services in the archdiocese. On the same day the archdiocese, though expressing its view that the bill did not adequately protect religious liberty, nonetheless affirmed its commitment to serving the needs of the poor and its hope for "working in partnership with the District of Columbia consistent with the mission of the Catholic Church." In February 2010 shortly before the law took effect, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington ended its
foster care Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home ( residential child care community or treatment centre), or private home of a state- certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent", or with a family mem ...
and public adoption programs rather than comply with the law's requirement that it license same-sex couples for the program. The agency also modified its employee health care benefits to avoid having to extend coverage to same-sex couples.


Response to ''Dominus Iesus''

In 2000, the Vatican issued a document entitled ''
Dominus Iesus (English: ''The Lord Jesus'') is a declaration by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (previously known as the ''Holy Office'', and since 2022 known as the ''Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith'') published on August 6, 2000. The ...
,'' which stated that
Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
Christ is the only way to
salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
. Wuerl said the document was aimed at some theologians in Asia who were attempting to incorporate
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, Islamic and Buddhist tenets into the Catholic interpretation of the
Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
s. Wuerl said that ''
Dominus Iesus (English: ''The Lord Jesus'') is a declaration by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (previously known as the ''Holy Office'', and since 2022 known as the ''Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith'') published on August 6, 2000. The ...
'' defended the Catholic view of the necessity of proclaiming the Christian faith to everyone. However, he stated that document acknowledged that there are elements in non-Christian scriptures "by which countless people throughout the centuries have been and still are able today to nourish and maintain their life-relationship with God."


Response to ''Summorum pontificum''

In 2007, Benedict XVI issued the ''motu proprio'' ''
Summorum Pontificum (English: 'Of the Supreme Pontiffs') is an Ecclesiastical letter#Letters of the popes in modern times, apostolic letter of Pope Benedict XVI, issued on 7 July 2007. This letter specifies the circumstances in which Priesthood in the Catholic Chur ...
'' (2007), which authorized priests to celebrate
mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
using either the 1969 or 1962 editions of the
Roman Missal The Roman Missal () is the book which contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Roman Rite, the most common liturgy and Mass of the Catholic Church. There have been several editions. History Before the Council of Trent (1570) ...
. Wuerl commented that the pope was "trying to reach out pastorally to those who feel an attraction to this form of the liturgy, and he is asking the pastors to be aware of and support their interest". He added that about 500 people a week were attending celebrations of the
Tridentine Mass The Tridentine Mass, also known as the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite or ''usus antiquior'' (), Vetus Ordo or the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) or the Traditional Rite, is the liturgy in the Roman Missal of the Catholic Church codified in ...
at three churches in his archdiocese. Wuerl established a special committee "to assist pastors in evaluating and responding to requests for the regular and public celebration" of the 1962 form of Mass. As of 2017, the Tridentine Mass was reported on the archdiocesan website as celebrated weekly in three parishes, the same ones as in 2007.


Sexual abuse cases

In 2003, journalist Ann Rodgers-Melnick wrote in the ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving Greater Pittsburgh, metropolitan Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the fi ...
'' that Wuerl was as being proactive as bishop in confronting
sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...
allegations against clergy. Wuerl won both praise and criticism for his efforts to remove sexually abusive clergy years before other church leaders made similar efforts. However, the Pennsylvania grand jury investigation report released in August 2018 criticized Wuerl for his handling of some sexual abuse cases.


1988 to 2018

In September 1988, when Wuerl was the bishop of Pittsburgh, he accepted a dinner invitation from a family suing the diocese for sexual abuse by a priest. Although the diocese's lawyers had discouraged him from going, Wuerl wanted to make contact with the family. Wuerl later settled the lawsuit and the priest involved was laicized and eventually imprisoned. Wuerl told his staff that in cases of alleged sexual abuse, their first concern should be for the victim, the second for the victim's family, and the third the reputation of the Church. In 1978, Reverend Anthony Cipolla was charged with the
sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using physical force, or by taking advantage of another. It often consists of a persistent pattern of sexual assaults. The offender is re ...
of a nine-year-old boy; his mother later dropped the criminal charges, claiming that Bishop Vincent Leonard pressured her to do it. In 1988, another victim claimed that Cipolla abused him from 1981 to 1986; the diocese settled the case in 1993, over Cipolla's objections. Cipolla consistently said that he never abused anyone. In 1988, Wuerl removed Cipolla from public ministry; Cipolla appealed this action to the Supreme Tribunal of the
Apostolic Signatura The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura () is the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church (apart from the pope himself, who as supreme ecclesiastical judge is the final point of appeal on any ecclesiastical matter). In addition, ...
, the Vatican's highest court, which ordered Wuerl to return him to ministry. Wuerl then asked the court to reconsider the case, saying that its decision showed a lack of awareness of the civil lawsuit against Cipolla and Cipolla's 1978 arrest. The court reversed its ruling in 1995 and upheld Wuerl's suspension of Cipolla's. Cipolla nonetheless continued to minister to the public, forcing the diocese to publicly state that Cipolla was not in good standing. In 2002, Cipolla was laicized by the pope. In 2010, Wuerl argued that the American Catholic Church had made progress in confronting abusers. He told ''
Fox News Sunday ''Fox News Sunday'' is a Sunday morning talk show that has aired on the broadcast Fox network since 1996, as a presentation of Fox News Channel. It is the only regularly scheduled Fox News program carried on the main Fox broadcast network. Hos ...
'' that "we have succeeded in guaranteeing that if a priest is accused, and there is a credible allegation, he is simply removed from the ministry. That is reported to the authorities, and we begin to try to heal whatever was damaged in that abuse."


2018 grand jury report

On August 14, 2018, a grand jury report on sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, released by Pennsylvania Attorney General
Josh Shapiro Joshua David Shapiro (born June 20, 1973) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the 48th governor of Pennsylvania since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was the attorney general of Pen ...
, criticized Wuerl's handling of sexual abuse cases as bishop Pittsburgh. * On the advice of doctors, Wuerl allowed Reverend William O'Malley to return to active ministry in 1998, despite past allegations of abuse. O'Malley had admitted that he was sexually interested in adolescents. * Reverend George Zirwas had a long history of involvement in child sexual abuse, sometimes including sadism. He had also manufactured child pornography. Zirwas' actions were known in the diocese as early as 1987, but he continued in ministry when Wuerl became bishop of Pittsburgh in 1988. In 1989, Wuerl authorized a $900,000 settlement, with confidentiality clauses, with two of Zirwas' victims, but allowed Zirwas to remain in ministry despite further complaints. After the diocese received another complaint Wuerl finally removed Zirwas from ministry in 1996. Eventually Zirwas moved to Cuba, where he was murdered in 2001. * Reverend Ernest Paone had a history of sexual abuse allegations against him and was frequently moved to different parishes across the United States. In 1991, Wuerl allowed Paone to be transferred to the Diocese of Reno-Las Vegas, despite being aware of the reports surrounding his behavior and his history of accusations of child abuse dating back to the early 1960s. A new complaint arose against Paone in 1994. According to the report:
"Wuerl responded by dispatching letters notifying the relevant California and Nevada Dioceses of the 1994 complaint. However, Wuerl did not report the more detailed information contained within Diocesan records. The Diocese did not recall Paone; nor did it suspend his faculties as a priest. To the contrary, Paone continued to have the support of the Diocese."
The grand jury report did note Wuerl's contributions to fighting sex abuse. That included his successful effort within the Vatican legal system to remove Cipolla from ministry for sexual abuse.


Reactions to report

Wuerl disputed the allegations against him in the grand jury report, stating: "While I understand this report may be critical of some of my actions, I believe the report confirms that I acted with diligence, with concern for the victims and to prevent future acts of abuse." Shapiro disagreed with Wuerl's conclusions, saying,
"Cardinal Wuerl is not telling the truth. Many of his statements in response to the Grand Jury Report are directly contradicted by the Church's own documents and records from their Secret Archives. Offering misleading statements now only furthers the cover up."
Wuerl launched a website, "The Wuerl Record," containing a defense of his record during that era. Wuerl further faced "intense scrutiny" regarding his handling of sex abuse cases in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. A spokesman for the
Archdiocese of Washington In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...
in August 2018 said Wuerl "has no intention of resigning." On August 20, 2018,
Ave Maria Press Ave Maria Press is a Catholic publishing company which was founded on May 1, 1865, by Father Edward Sorin, a Holy Cross priest who had founded the University of Notre Dame."About." ''Ave Maria Press.'' August 17, 2007. Ave Maria Press. August 24 ...
announced it had indefinitely postponed the release of a book written by Wuerl titled ''What Do You Want to Know? A Pastor's Response to the Most Challenging Questions About the Catholic Faith''. By August 2018, thousands of people in the Diocese of Pittsburgh had signed a petition to rename Cardinal Wuerl
North Catholic High School North Catholic High School is a private Catholic Church, Catholic high school located in Cranberry Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania. The school's mascot is the Troy, Trojan, and its colors are scarlet and gold. History North Catholic High S ...
. On Wuerl's own request, the school and the diocesan school board petitioned Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik to change the school name. Zubik approved the change on August 22 and the school became simply North Catholic High School. In response to the allegations against Wuerl, political commentator
Hugh Hewitt Hugh Hewitt (born February 22, 1956) is an American conservative political commentator, radio talk show host with the Salem Radio Network, attorney, academic, and author. He writes about law, society, politics, and media bias in the United States ...
demanded that Wuerl be dismissed as archbishop of Washington and resign from the College of Cardinals. In a few days, 60,000 people signed a petition to Pope Francis to remove Wuerl. In what
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
called a "growing Catholic insurgency," Wuerl faced more calls for his resignation, including from a priest in his archdiocese and many laymen across ideological lines. At the end of August 2018, Wuerl flew to Rome to meet with Pope Francis. The pope instructed Wuerl to confer with the priests of the archdiocese regarding his next steps. On September 3, Wuerl met with more than a hundred priests in Washington. He told them he knew nothing about the allegations against McCarrick until they became public. Many priests in attendance offered their views; some encouraged Wuerl to resign while others encouraged him to "stay and be part of the church's healing process." On September 8, 2018,
Deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...
James Garcia, the master of ceremonies at St. Matthew's Cathedral in Washington, informed Wuerl that he was refusing to serve him at mass any longer, due to Wuerl's handling of sexual abuse cases, and asked him to resign. Garcia also denied that this refusal to serve with Wuerl violated his
vow of obedience In the Catholic Church, the vow of obedience is one of the three vows of professing to live according to the evangelical counsels. It forms part of the religious vows that are made both by members of the religious institutes and diocesan hermits. ...
to Wuerl as his bishop. Columnist Michael Sean Winters in October 2018 defended Wuerl's actions while bishop, but said Wuerl's response to the grand jury report could hardly have been worse. Winters described the report as "spotty and inconsistent." Winters criticized the media response to the report and said that it was weaponized by far-right groups such as
Church Militant In some strains of Christian theology, the Christian Church may be divided into: *the Church Militant (), also called the Church Pilgrim, which consists of Christians on Earth who struggle as soldiers of Christ against sin, the devil, and "the ...
and LifeSiteNews in order to take down Wuerl and attack Pope Francis. Former ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' reporter
Peter Steinfels Peter F. Steinfels (born 1941) is an American journalist and educator best known for his writings on religious topics. A native of Chicago, Illinois, and a lifelong Roman Catholic, Steinfels earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University and joined th ...
in January 2019 called the grand jury report "grossly misleading, irresponsible, inaccurate, and unjust". Steinfels noted that a third or more of the accusations were revealed after the Dallas Charter and claimed that such "inaccurate and incomplete" reports were used to push Wuerl out of office. Steinfels accused Shapiro of engineering the report in order to discredit church opposition.


Alleged sexual abuse by Theodore McCarrick

On August 25, 2018, Archbishop
Carlo Maria Viganò Carlo Maria Viganò (; born 16 January 1941) is an Italian traditionalist Catholic archbishop and conspiracy theorist who served as Apostolic Nuncio to the United States from 2011 to 2016 and as secretary-general of the Governorate of Vatican ...
, former papal nuncio to the United States, released an 11-page letter describing a series of warnings to the
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
on sexual misconduct by
Theodore McCarrick Theodore Edgar McCarrick (July 7, 1930 – April 3, 2025) was an American Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal who was Archbishop of Newark from 1986 to 2000 and Archbishop of Washington from 2001 to 2006. In 2019, McCarrick was defrocked by Po ...
, Wuerl's predecessor as Archbishop of Washington, and a subsequent alleged cover-up by the Vatican and senior church officials. Viganò stated that he had discussed McCarrick's conduct and the penalties surrounding it with Wuerl. Viganò accused Wuerl of putting seminarians at risk by allowing McCarrick to reside at the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Seminary after his retirement despite knowing that he was accused of abusing seminarians. Through a spokesman, Wuerl denied that he was aware of McCarrick's misconduct prior to his removal from ministry on June 20, 2018. He also denied Viganò's claim that he knew of restrictions that the Vatican imposed on McCarrick. However, on January 10, 2019, ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' published a story stating that Wuerl was aware of allegations against McCarrick in 2004 and reported them to the Vatican. Former priest Robert Ciolek, who had made the allegations, told the ''Post'' that Wuerl shared the information in 2004, during his time as Bishop of Pittsburgh, with then-Vatican ambassador
Gabriel Montalvo Higuera Gabriel Montalvo Higuera (27 January 1930 – 2 August 2006) was a Colombian prelate of the Catholic Church who worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See for fifty years, with the title of archbishop and the rank of nuncio from 1974. His ...
. After the publication of the ''Post'' story, both the Diocese of Pittsburgh and the Archdiocese of Washington admitted that Wuerl knew about Ciolek's allegations in 2004 and did report them to the Vatican. The archdiocese said that Wuerl did not intend to be "imprecise" in his earlier denials; he said they referred only to claims of abuse against minors, not adults. Days later, Wuerl himself apologized, stating that his earlier denials were the result of a "lapse of memory." Ciolek refused to believe that Wuerl forgot and did not accept his apology. On May 28, 2019, the news site ''Crux'' published some 2008 correspondence written by McCarrick. In it, McCarrick refers to travel restrictions which were placed on him by Benedict XVI that same year after allegations of sexual misconduct. However, McCarrick gradually began to resume travelling. In a 2008 letter to
Pietro Sambi Pietro Sambi (27 June 1938 – 27 July 2011) was an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who served in the diplomatic service of the Holy See from 1969 until his death in 2011. He had the rank of archbishop and the title of nuncio from 1985, f ...
, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., McCarrick wrote he had shared a Vatican letter explaining the restrictions with Wuerl, saying that his "help and understanding is, as always, a great help and fraternal support to me." However, a spokesperson for Wuerl denied that he had any knowledge of the sanctions.


Pittsburgh-area Lawsuits

On August 7, 2020, Wuerl was named as a defendant in a new sex abuse lawsuit was filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. The lawsuit claimed that Wuerl promised in 1994 that Reverend Leo Burchianti, who was accused of sexually abusing at least eight boys, would not receive a new church assignment. Wuerl and then-Father David Zubik later gave Burchianti a voluntary work assignment at St. John Vianney Manor, a home for retired priests. Burchianti remained there from 1995 to 2012 and died in 2013. Wuerl has been named as a defendant in other sex abuse lawsuits involving the Diocese of Pittsburgh as well.


Retirement as archbishop of Washington

Wuerl submitted a letter of resignation as archbishop of Washington to Francis in 2015, having met the mandatory retirement age for archbishops of 75. However, the pope did not accept his resignation at that time. Three years later, on October 12, 2018, Pope Francis accepted Wuerl's resignation. Wuerl had planned to officially resign in September 2018 after first meeting with Pope Francis. However, the Vatican never scheduled a meeting and Francis accepted Wuerl's resignation in a letter. In the letter of acceptance, Francis praised Wuerl as a "model bishop" and said "You have sufficient elements to justify your actions and distinguish between what it means to cover up crimes or not to deal with problems, and to commit some mistakes." Francis appointed Wuerl to serve as
apostolic administrator An apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...
of Washington, D.C., until his successor was appointed. Wuerl departed as apostolic administrator when Archbishop Wilton Gregory was installed on May 21, 2019. An October 2018 ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' editorial criticized Francis for the way he characterized Wuerl's resignation and handling of abuse cases. That same month, Shapiro criticized the Pope's decision to allow Wuerl to resign without facing stronger consequences. On October 12, 2018, Wuerl wrote to members of the archdiocese and said,
"I am sorry and ask for healing for all of those who were so deeply wounded at the hands of the Church's ministers. 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."
In 2020, the archdiocese designated $2 million for "continuing ministry activities for heArchbishop Emeritus."


Selected writings

* ''The Forty Martyrs: New Saints of England and Wales'' (Huntington: Our Sunday Visitor, 1971) * ''Fathers of the Church'' (Huntington: Our Sunday Visitor, 1975) * ''The Catholic Priesthood Today'' (Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1976) * ''The Teaching of Christ: A Catholic Catechism for Adults'' (Huntington: Our Sunday Visitor, 1976), co-author * ''A Visit to the Vatican: For Young People'' (Boston: St. Paul Editions, 1981) * ''The Gift of Faith: A Question and Answer Version of The Teaching of Christ'' (Huntington: Our Sunday Visitor, 2001) * ''The Catholic Way: Faith for Living Today'' (New York: Doubleday, 2001) * ''The Sacraments: A Continuing Encounter with Christ'' (Our Sunday Visitor, 2010) * ''The Mass: The Glory, The Mystery, The Tradition'' (New York: Doubleday, 2011) * ''The Gift of Blessed John Paul II'' (Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us Press, 2011) * ''Seek First the Kingdom: Challenging the Culture by Living Our Faith'' (Huntington: Our Sunday Visitor, 2011) * ''Faith That Transforms Us: Reflections on the Creed'' (Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us Press, 2013) * ''New Evangelization: Passing on the Catholic Faith Today'' (Our Sunday Visitor, 2013) * ''The Church: Unlocking the Secrets to the Places Catholics Call Home'' (Image, 2013) * ''The Light is On For You: The Life-Changing Power of Confession'' (Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us Press, 2014) * ''The Feasts: How the Church Year Forms Us as Catholics'' (Image: 2014) * ''Open to the Holy Spirit: Living the Gospel with Wisdom'' (Our Sunday Visitor, 2014) * ''The Marriage God Wants For You'' (Frederick, MD: The Word Among Us Press, 2015) * ''To the Martyrs: A Reflection on the Supreme Christian Witness'' (Emmaus Road Publishing, 2015) * ''Ways to Pray: Growing Closer to God'' (Our Sunday Visitor, 2015)


Pastoral letters as Archbishop of Washington


"Being Catholic Today: Catholic Identity in an Age of Challenge"

So Católico Hoy: Identidad católica en una época de desafíos
), May 24, 2015
"Manifesting the Kingdom: A Pastoral Letter on the First Synod of the Archdiocese of Washington"

La Manifestación del Reino
), June 8, 2014
The Church, Our Spiritual Home

La Iglesia, Nuestro Hogar Espiritual
), September 14, 2012
"Disciples of the Lord: Sharing the Vision"
, August 23, 2010
"God's Mercy and Loving Presence"

La Misericordia y la Amorosa Presencia de Dios
), January 3, 2010
"Belonging to God's Family"

Pertenciendo a la Familia de Dios
), January 25, 2009
"Catholic Education: Looking to the Future with Confidence"
, September 14, 2008
"Reflections on God's Mercy And Our Forgiveness"

Reflexiones sobre la Misericordia de Dios y el Perdón
), January 1, 2008
"God's Mercy and the Sacrament of Penance"

La Misericordia de Dios y el Sacramento de la Penitencia
), January 8, 2007


See also

*
Catholic Church hierarchy The hierarchy of the Catholic Church consists of its bishops, priests, and deacons. In the ecclesiological sense of the term, "hierarchy" strictly means the "holy ordering" of the church, the Body of Christ, so to respect the diversity of gif ...
*
Catholic Church in the United States The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in full communion, communion with the pope, who as of 2025 is Chicago, Illinois-born Pope Leo XIV, Leo XIV. With 23 percent of the United States' population , t ...
*
Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...
*
List of Catholic bishops of the United States The following is a list of bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States. The list also includes bishops in the American territories of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Cath ...
*
Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops This is a directory of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops across various Christian denominations. To find an individual who was a bishop, see the most relevant article linked below or :Bishops. Lists Catholic * Bishops in the Catholic Chu ...


References


Further reading

*


External links

*
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington Official Site

Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh History of Bishops webpage
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wuerl, Donald W. 1940 births Living people 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States 21st-century American cardinals 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States American expatriates in Italy American male non-fiction writers American religious writers American Roman Catholic writers Cardinals created by Pope Benedict XVI Catholic University of America alumni Members of the Congregation for Bishops Members of the Congregation for the Clergy Members of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre Members of the Pontifical Council for Culture Pontifical Gregorian University alumni Pontifical North American College alumni Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni Religious leaders from Washington (state) Roman Catholic archbishops of Washington Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle Roman Catholic bishops of Pittsburgh