Donald Wuerl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Eminence Donald William Wuerl |
|
|---|---|
| Cardinal, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington |
|
Wuerl in 2015
|
|
| Archdiocese | Washington |
| Appointed | May 16, 2006 |
| Enthroned | June 22, 2006 |
| Predecessor | Theodore McCarrick |
| Successor | Wilton Daniel Gregory |
| Other posts | Cardinal-Priest of San Pietro in Vincoli Chancellor of the Catholic University of America |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | December 17, 1966 |
| Consecration | January 6, 1986 by John Paul II, Agostino Casaroli, and Bernardin Gantin |
| Created Cardinal | November 20, 2010 |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Donald William Wuerl |
| Born | November 12, 1940 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Previous post |
|
| Motto | Thy kingdom come |
| Styles of Donald William Wuerl |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Reference style |
|
| Spoken style | Your Eminence |
| Informal style | Cardinal |
Donald William Wuerl (born November 12, 1940) is an American Catholic leader. He served as the Archbishop of Washington from 2006 to 2018. Before that, he was an auxiliary (assistant) bishop in Archdiocese of Seattle (1986 to 1987). He also served as the Bishop of Pittsburgh from 1988 to 2006. In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI made him a cardinal.
Wuerl is known in the church for his ability to bring different groups together. On October 12, 2018, Pope Francis accepted Wuerl's resignation as Archbishop of Washington. Wuerl continued to lead the archdiocese temporarily until his successor, Wilton Daniel Gregory, was appointed in 2019.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Donald Wuerl was born on November 12, 1940, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the second of four children. His parents were Francis and Mary Anna Wuerl. He has two brothers, Wayne and Dennis, and a sister, Carol. Wuerl's father worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad and served in the US Navy during World War II. His mother passed away in 1944, and his father married Kathryn Cavanaugh in 1946. Donald Wuerl showed interest in becoming a priest from a young age. He even held pretend masses for his siblings at home.
Wuerl went to St. Mary of the Mount Parish school in Pittsburgh. He graduated in 1958. He then attended St. Gregory Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1958 to 1960. After that, he studied at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. There, he earned a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in 1962 and a Master of Philosophy degree in 1963.
He continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He earned a Master of Theology degree in 1967. After becoming a priest, Wuerl went back to Rome for more theological study. He earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree in 1974 from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. While studying in Rome, Wuerl was able to observe the important meetings of the Second Vatican Council.
Early Career as a Priest
Wuerl became a priest for the Diocese of Pittsburgh on December 17, 1966. Bishop Francis Reh ordained him. After his ordination, Wuerl worked as an assistant pastor at St. Rosalia Parish in Pittsburgh. He also served as priest-secretary to Bishop John Wright. When Bishop Wright became a cardinal in 1969, Wuerl became his full-time priest-secretary in Vatican City. He stayed in this role until Wright's death in 1979.
Because Cardinal Wright was recovering from surgery, Wuerl was one of only three non-cardinals allowed inside the conclave that chose Karol Wojtyla as Pope John Paul II in 1978. In 1976, Wuerl helped write a catechism (a book of religious teachings) for adults called The Teaching of Christ. This book has been printed many times and translated into several languages.
Wuerl served as the rector (head) of Saint Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh from 1981 to 1985. In 1982, he was appointed executive secretary to Bishop John Marshall. Bishop Marshall was leading a study of US seminaries (schools for priests) for the Vatican.
Episcopal Career
Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle
On December 3, 1985, Pope John Paul II appointed Wuerl as an auxiliary (assistant) bishop of Seattle. He was also given the title of titular bishop of Rosemarkie. Wuerl became a bishop on January 6, 1986, at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The pope himself consecrated him.
As an auxiliary bishop, Wuerl worked with Seattle Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen. In May 1986, it became known that the Vatican had given Wuerl responsibility for several key areas. These areas were usually controlled by the Archbishop. This led to some questions about his role. Wuerl resigned as auxiliary bishop of Seattle on May 26, 1987. He later said that staying in Seattle became "unworkable." Many people blamed him for the disagreements with Archbishop Hunthausen. Wuerl moved to a Pittsburgh suburb to await his next assignment. Wuerl and Hunthausen later became friends. Wuerl said that Hunthausen taught him a lot about being a bishop.
Bishop of Pittsburgh
On February 12, 1988, John Paul II appointed Wuerl as the eleventh bishop of Pittsburgh. He officially took office on March 25, 1988. One of the biggest challenges for the diocese was the financial problems of its parish schools. The diocese had built many parishes and schools when Catholic immigrants came to Pittsburgh to work in the steel mills. These parishes were often set up for different ethnic groups. This meant there were many churches and schools close to each other.
After World War II, the number of students decreased. Also, fewer Catholic children attended Catholic schools. Many nuns who used to teach in these schools began to choose other types of work. To replace them, the diocese had to hire more lay teachers, who earned higher salaries. This made the schools more expensive to run.
Wuerl asked his lay advisors to help with the debt from Catholic education. In 1988, they found that 48 out of 333 parishes owed a total of $5.6 million. The diocese announced a plan in February 1989 to help. They forgave some debts and offered low-interest loans. Even with financial challenges, Wuerl decided to expand health services. He worked with hospitals to create a group home for people with HIV/AIDS. In 2003, Wuerl raised $2.5 million to create the Catholic Charities Free Health Care Center. This center helped uninsured working people.
In 1989, Wuerl combined Sacred Heart and St. Paul Cathedral High Schools. He created Oakland Catholic High School using the St. Paul building in Pittsburgh.
Wuerl started and hosted a television program called The Teaching of Christ in 1990. He also taught at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. In 1999, Wuerl became a chaplain for the Order of Malta. He also wrote regular articles for Columbia, a magazine for the Knights of Columbus.
In March 1994, Wuerl closed 73 church buildings, including 37 churches. He reduced the number of parishes from 331 to 117 by merging them. When Wuerl left in June 2006, the diocese had 214 parishes. Wuerl's plan for reorganizing parishes was used as a model for other dioceses.
From 1994 to 2003, Wuerl was on the board of governors for the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He represented the Pennsylvania-New Jersey region of the USCCB. In 2008, as Archbishop of Washington, he was again elected to the college's board.
Under Wuerl, the diocese started to put more women in important leadership roles.
- Rosemarie Cibik became the first lay superintendent of Catholic schools in Pittsburgh.
- Rita Joyce, a lawyer, became the first lay member of the diocesan marriage tribunal.
- Sister Margaret Hannan became associate general secretary of the diocese. She later became chancellor, which is a very high position for a lay person.
Archbishop of Washington
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Wuerl as Archbishop of Washington on May 16, 2006. He was officially installed on June 22, 2006, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. He received the pallium (a special cloth worn by archbishops) from Pope Benedict XVI on June 29, 2006. In April 2008, Wuerl hosted Pope Benedict XVI's visit to District of Columbia.
Wuerl served as chairman of the board of directors for the National Catholic Educational Association starting in December 2005. He was also the chancellor of The Catholic University of America. In September 2010, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith named Wuerl as its representative in the United States. His job was to help Anglicans who wanted to convert to Catholicism. Wuerl also led a committee for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to help with this effort.
Cardinal
On November 20, 2010, Benedict XVI made Wuerl a member of the College of Cardinals. This happened during a public ceremony at Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. He became a Cardinal-Priest of S. Pietro in Vincoli. Pope Benedict XVI later gave Wuerl several other important roles:
- Member of the Congregation for the Clergy and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (December 2010)
- Recording secretary for the 2012 World Synod of Bishops meeting (October 24, 2011)
- Member of the Pontifical Council for Culture for five years (December 10, 2011)
- Member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (April 21, 2012)
In 2011, Wuerl was part of a committee of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. This committee discussed a book by American Catholic theologian Elizabeth Johnson. The bishops said her 2007 book, Quest for the Living God, went against some Catholic teachings. Wuerl later said he offered to meet with Johnson about the book, but she did not reply.
Wuerl was a cardinal elector who took part in the 2013 papal conclave. This was the meeting that elected Pope Francis. Francis later appointed Wuerl to the Congregation for Bishops (December 16, 2013).
Public Views
Reverend Thomas J. Reese, a Jesuit priest and journalist, said in 2006 that Wuerl was "quite orthodox theologically." He also said Wuerl "doesn't like to play cop; he's not an authoritarian person." In 2018, Reese described him as a moderate in Catholic discussions. He said, "He was totally enthusiastic about John Paul II, and then Pope Benedict, and now he's totally enthusiastic about Pope Francis."
Journalist John L. Allen Jr. said in December 2018 that Wuerl "was able to forge behind-the-scenes consensus." This was because people trusted him not to embarrass them in public. They also saw him as understanding different points of view.
Retirement as Archbishop of Washington
Wuerl sent a letter of resignation in 2015, which is common for bishops when they turn 75. On October 12, 2018, Pope Francis accepted Wuerl's resignation.
Wuerl had planned to resign in September and meet with Pope Francis. This did not happen. The Pope accepted his resignation through a letter. The letter said Wuerl had sent a new request on September 21 to accept his resignation. Francis appointed him to serve as the temporary leader, called an apostolic administrator, of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. Wuerl left this role when Wilton Gregory became Archbishop on May 21, 2019. Even after stepping down, Wuerl has continued to receive financial support from the Archdiocese of Washington. In 2020, over $2 million was set aside for "continuing ministry activities for [the] Archbishop Emeritus."
Pope Francis praised Wuerl as a "model bishop." In his reply to the resignation, the Pope 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."
On October 12, Wuerl wrote to members of the archdiocese. He 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."
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
In Spanish: Donald Wuerl para niños
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of Catholic bishops of the United States
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
