Pope Accepts Resignation Of D.C. Archbishop Donald Wuerl Amid Sex Abuse Crisis
Source: NPR
By Bill Chapelle and Tom Gjelten, 7:00 AM ET
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., who has been accused of covering up sexual abuse scandals during his tenure as the bishop of Pittsburgh.
Victims of sexual assault and others have long called for Wuerl to resign – and those calls recently grew louder, after a grand jury produced an exhaustive and shocking report that described the crimes of 300 "predator priests" in Pennsylvania, some of whom were under Wuerl's supervision.
Today, Wuerl said his exit would allow the church "to focus on healing and the future. It permits this local Church to move forward." He added, "Once again for any past errors in judgment I apologize and ask for pardon."
The most severe claims against Wuerl stem from his tenure as the bishop of Pittsburgh, from 1988 through 2006; his name was repeatedly mentioned in the grand jury's 900-page report, accusing him of moving abusive priests between parishes and not informing other church leaders when accused priests were moved into their territories. - MORE...
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2018/10/12/656829266/pope-accepts-resignation-of-cardinal-wuerl-archbishop-of-washington
Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Donald Wuerl. The two are seen here during the pope's visit to Washington, D.C., in 2015. (Gary Cameron, Reuters).
= new reply since forum marked as read
