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Parishioners believe Wuerl resignation is best for Catholic Church

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The resignation of Pittsburgh native Donald Wuerl as archbishop of Washington, D.C., was largely viewed as a good step for the Catholic Church by parishioners who filed into noon Mass Friday at Immaculate Conception Church in Washington.

“He did what was best for the church,” said Don Shaw, a Washington resident. Wuerl has been under fire since a grand jury report released in August assailed him and other leaders of the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania for allegedly covering up the sexual abuse of children by priests. Accepting the 77-year-old Wuerl’s resignation, Pope Francis said in a letter released Friday Wuerl had “sufficient elements” to justify his actions when he led Pittsburgh’s archdiocese, and was able to “distinguish what it means to cover up crimes or not to deal with problems and to commit some mistakes.”

John Quayle, a resident of North Franklin Township, said Wuerl’s stepping down “is a good thing for the church,” and that Wuerl was “complicit” in reassigning priests to other parishes after accusations surfaced that they had engaged in misconduct. Hailing from the Mount Washington neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Wuerl was Pittsburgh’s bishop from 1988 to 2006. In the wake of the grand jury report, Wuerl’s name was removed from North Catholic High School in Butler County.

Pittsburgh’s current bishop, David Zubik, released a statement Friday stating his predecessor “has advocated for those within the church and beyond who need the opportunity for a better life. I pray that the acceptance of his resignation today by Pope Francis will continue to bring about healing in the hearts and lives of victims of abuse and all those in the church.”

Although Wuerl will no longer be Washington, D.C.’s archbishop, he will reportedly continue in an administrative role within the district’s archdiocese until his successor is named. Wuerl is also set to remain in the Congress of Cardinals, which helps select bishops for parishes around the world.

Long known for his genial manner and media savvy, Wuerl’s departure was welcomed by Pat Maggi, a Claysville resident.

“For many years, I thought he came off as being too sweet and holy,” she said.

David Clohessy, who at one time directed the organization Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP), told The Washington Post Friday Wuerl’s continued role within the Catholic Church “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.”

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