WASHINGTON—Pope
Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Donald Wuerl from the
pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Washington.

The
resignation was publicized in Washington, DC, October 12, 2018, by
Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Cardinal Wuerl had presented his resignation almost three years ago, when he reached the retirement age for bishops of 75.

In
April,2008, Cardinal Wuerl hosted in Washington, Pope Benedict XVI and
in September, 2015, Pope Francis for their first pastoral visits to the
United States. He was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to help direct the
October 2012 Synod of Bishops on The New Evangelization for the
Transmission of the Christian Faith. Cardinal Wuerl was also appointed
by Pope Francis as a member of both the 2014 and the 2015 Synods on the
Family.

The
Cardinal was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and received graduate
degrees from The Catholic University of America, the Gregorian
University in Rome and a doctorate in theology from the University of
Saint Thomas in Rome. He was ordained a bishop by Pope John Paul II on
January 6, 1986, in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome. He served as Auxiliary
Bishop in Seattle until 1987 and then as Bishop of Pittsburgh for 18
years until his appointment to Washington. His titular church in Rome is
Saint Peter in Chains.

Cardinal
Donald Wuerl was born November 12, 1940, in Pittsburgh, PA. He attended
the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., earning a
bachelor’s degree (1962) and master’s degree (1963) in philosophy. He
continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome
and earned a master’s degree in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian
University in 1967, also in Rome.

He was ordained a priest on December 17, 1966.

From
1981 to 1985, he was rector of Saint Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh. On
November 30, 1985 he was appointed titular Bishop of Rosemarkie and
Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle. Pope John Paul ordained him a bishop on
January 6, 1986. On February 12, 1988, he was installed as Bishop of
Pittsburgh. He was appointed Archbishop of Washington on May 16, 2006.

He
holds honorary degrees from eleven universities and is a Knight of
Malta, a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, and a fourth degree Knight of
Columbus.

Cardinal
Wuerl served previously as Chairman of the Doctrine Committee for the
USCCB and has served on other various USCCB committees.

The
Archdiocese of Washington is comprised of 2,104 square miles and has a
total population of 2,867,377 million of which 630,823 or 22 percent,
are Catholic.

—

Keywords:
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Pope Francis, Archbishop
Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archdiocese
of Washington, DC.

###
Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops