Donald Wuerl
Encyclopedia
Donald William Wuerl is an American
cardinal
of the Catholic Church. He is the sixth and current Archbishop of Washington
, serving since 2006. He previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle
(1986-87) and Bishop of Pittsburgh
(1988-2006). He was created a cardinal
by Pope Benedict XVI
in 2010.
, the second of four children of Francis J. and Mary Anna (née Schiffauer) Wuerl. He has two brothers, Wayne and Dennis, and a sister, Carol. His father worked nights weighing freight cars for the Pennsylvania Railroad
, and served in the Navy
during World War II
. His mother died in 1944, and his father married Kathryn Cavanaugh in 1946.
Wuerl received his early education at the parochial school
of St. Mary of the Mount Church in the Mount Washington
neighborhood of Pittsburgh, graduating in 1958. He then attended the Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
, where he was a Basselin Scholar at the Theological College. He there earned a Bachelor's degree (1962) and Master's degree (1963) in philosophy.
He continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College
in Rome
. He earned a Master's degree in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University
in 1967. After ordination, he studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, obtaining his doctorate in theology
in 1974.
parish in Pittsburgh's Greenfield
neighborhood and as secretary to then-Pittsburgh bishop John Wright, who was elevated to cardinal in 1969; Wuerl was his full-time secretary in Vatican City
from 1969 until Wright's death in 1979.
Because Cardinal Wright had to use a wheelchair due to his severe arthritis
in 1978, Wuerl, as Wright's secretary, was one of three non-cardinals permitted inside the conclave
, which selected Karol Wojtyla as Pope John Paul II
.
Wuerl was rector
at St. Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh from 1981 to 1985. In 1982, he was made executive secretary to Bishop John Marshall for a papally
mandated study of U.S. seminaries
.
's authority by being given "complete and final decision-making power" in several key areas. He was given complete authority over liturgy, the archdiocesan tribunal, seminarians and priestly formation, laicized priests, and issues of health care and ministry to homosexuals.
Wuerl was ordained bishop on January 6, 1986 at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy by Pope John Paul II.
on February 12, 1988 and installed on March 25, 1988.
In 1989, Wuerl merged Sacred Heart and St. Paul Cathedral high schools to establish Oakland Catholic High School
(all female-only schools) in the Oakland
neighborhood of Pittsburgh, using the buildings at St. Paul Cathedral High School.
Wuerl launched and hosted a television program, The Teaching of Christ, in 1990 and wrote an adult catechism
with the same name. He taught at Duquesne University
in Pittsburgh as a distinguished service professor. Wuerl has served as a chaplain
since 1999 for the Order of Malta, Federal Association, U.S.A., a division of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, commonly referred to as the Knights of Malta. Wuerl has also written regular columns in Columbia, the major publication of the Knights of Columbus
in the United States.
Wuerl closed 73 church buildings, which included 37 churches, and reduced 331 parishes by 117 through merging while bishop of Pittsburgh; he was managing the remaining 214 parishes when he left in June 2006. Wuerl's plan, The Parish Reorganization and Revitalization Project, is now used as a model for other dioceses seeking parish suppression. The mansion
that housed Wuerl for over two decades as well as his four predecessors in the Diocese of Pittsburgh was sold since the new bishop, David Zubik, decided to live at St. Paul's Seminary. The Jacobethan
Revival house along Fifth Avenue, at 9842 square feet (914.4 m²) with 39 rooms, which include 11 bedrooms, six full baths, and a half-bath, had an appraised value of $1.5 million and is one of the largest homes in the Shadyside
neighborhood of Pittsburgh. As of March 2009, the property was listed for sale at $2.5 million; it formerly enclosed an extensive collection of antiques, Oriental rug
s, and art
during Wuerl's residency. The property was sold to an anonymous private trust for over $2 million.
and received the pallium
from Pope Benedict XVI on June 29, 2006.
In April 2008, Wuerl, as archbishop of Washington, hosted the Apostolic Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the District of Columbia, which included a visit to the White House
, the celebration of Vespers at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
, Mass at the new Nationals Park, and an address at The Catholic University of America
.
Wuerl has been chairman of the board of directors at the National Catholic Educational Association
since December 12, 2005. He is also chancellor
at the Catholic University of America. In September 2010, Wuerl was appointed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
delegate in the United States to facilitate the implementation of the Apostolic Constitution
Anglicanorum Coetibus issued Pope Benedict XIV in November 2009 to provide for those Anglican faithful who desire to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church in a corporate manner. . He also heads the U.S. bishops’ ad hoc committee created for such implementation. Other members of the ad hoc committee are Bishop Kevin William Vann
of Fort Worth, Texas, and Bishop Robert Joseph McManus
of Worcester, Massachusetts. The committee will be assisted by Father Scott Hurd.
in Rome (Chairman, 1998–1999), representing the Pennsylvania-New Jersey Region (Region III) of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 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 Converence (Region IV).
and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
.
On Monday, October 24, 2011, the Holy Father
, His Holiness
, Pope Benedict XVI
, named Cardinal Wuerl to be the Relator-General of the 2012 World Synod of Bishops meeting on the New Evangelization.
He is considered to be theologically conservative
but not authoritarian. He supports determining whether a pro-choice
Catholic politician
should be denied Communion
on an individual basis, once saying, "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."
During Fall 2009, the D.C. City Council
proposed and ultimately passed a same-sex marriage
bill. In November 2009, Wuerl signed an ecumenical statement known as the Manhattan Declaration
calling on evangelicals, Catholics and Orthodox not to comply with rules and laws permitting abortion, same-sex marriage and other matters that go against their religious consciences. The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is between a man and a woman and that the extension of the civil definition of marriage to same-sex couples undermines the common good of society as a whole. In the debate on the D.C. same-sex marriage bill, the Archdiocese of Washington advocated for religious liberty provisions that would protect the Church's ability to provide social services (i.e. adoption) in accordance with Catholic teaching on marriage. After the Washington Post characterized the archdiocese as giving an "ultimatum" to the city, Wuerl clarified the Church's position in a letter to the Post, stating 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." In December 2009, on the day of the bill's passage, same-sex marriage advocates still claimed 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." However, reflecting the requirements of the newly-enacted law upon adoption services in the District of Columbia, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington was forced to end its foster care and public adoption program because it could not license same-sex couples for the program.
. The letter stated that "his permission must be received prior to making any permanent commitments by a parish for the public celebration, on a regular basis, of the 1962 form of the Roman liturgy as an extraordinary form of the Roman Rite
." Wuerl argued in his letter that this restriction is in accord with Article 5 of Summorum Pontificum, which states that "public or regularly scheduled Masses be offered under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392, avoiding discord and favoring the unity of the whole Church."
The full text of Article 5, Section 1 of Summorum Pontificum is as follows. It contains both the admonition to pastors to establish an extraordinary form when there is a stable group of faithful, and the provision that the pastor act under the guidance of his bishop in the manner Wuerl establishes:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
of the Catholic Church. He is the sixth and current Archbishop of Washington
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the District of Columbia and Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George's and Saint Mary's counties in the state of Maryland....
, serving since 2006. He previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle
The Archdiocese of Seattle is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. state of Washington. Headquartered in Seattle, the archdiocese encompasses all counties in the state west of the Cascade Range. Its cathedral is St. James Cathedral, and its present archbishop is J...
(1986-87) and Bishop of Pittsburgh
Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is a Roman Catholic diocese. It was established in Western Pennsylvania on August 11, 1843. The diocese includes 211 parishes in the counties of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence, and Washington, an area of with a Catholic population of 719,801...
(1988-2006). He was created a cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
in 2010.
Early life and education
Donald Wuerl was born in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, the second of four children of Francis J. and Mary Anna (née Schiffauer) Wuerl. He has two brothers, Wayne and Dennis, and a sister, Carol. His father worked nights weighing freight cars for the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, and served in the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His mother died in 1944, and his father married Kathryn Cavanaugh in 1946.
Wuerl received his early education at the parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
of St. Mary of the Mount Church in the Mount Washington
Mount Washington (Pittsburgh)
Mount Washington is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's south city area. It has a zip code of 15211 and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by both the council members for District 3 and District 2 .It is known for its steep hill overlooking the Pittsburgh skyline, which was...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh, graduating in 1958. He then attended the Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where he was a Basselin Scholar at the Theological College. He there earned a Bachelor's degree (1962) and Master's degree (1963) in philosophy.
He continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He earned a Master's degree in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
in 1967. After ordination, he studied at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, obtaining his doctorate in theology
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
in 1974.
Early career
He was ordained a priest on December 17, 1966. His first assignment was as assistant pastor at St. RosaliaSanta Rosalia
Saint Rosalia , also called La Santuzza or "The Little Saint", is the patron saint of Palermo, Italy, El Hatillo, Venezuela, and Zuata, Anzoátegui, Venezuela.-Legend:...
parish in Pittsburgh's Greenfield
Greenfield (Pittsburgh)
Greenfield is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is represented on by Doug Shields.Greenfield is a member of Pittsburgh's 15th Ward, which includes the neighborhoods of Greenfield and Four Mile Run. Greenfield is adjacent to the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Hazelwood to...
neighborhood and as secretary to then-Pittsburgh bishop John Wright, who was elevated to cardinal in 1969; Wuerl was his full-time secretary in Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
from 1969 until Wright's death in 1979.
Because Cardinal Wright had to use a wheelchair due to his severe arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
in 1978, Wuerl, as Wright's secretary, was one of three non-cardinals permitted inside the conclave
Papal conclave
A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a Bishop of Rome, who then becomes the Pope during a period of vacancy in the papal office. The Pope is considered by Roman Catholics to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church...
, which selected Karol Wojtyla as Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
.
Wuerl was rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
at St. Paul Seminary in Pittsburgh from 1981 to 1985. In 1982, he was made executive secretary to Bishop John Marshall for a papally
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
mandated study of U.S. seminaries
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
.
Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle
Wuerl was appointed titular bishop of Rosemarkie and auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle on December 3, 1985, which was controversial, in that he was to take over much of Archbishop Raymond HunthausenRaymond Hunthausen
Raymond Gerhardt Hunthausen is a retired American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Helena from 1962 to 1975 and as Archbishop of Seattle from 1975 to 1991.-Early life and education:...
's authority by being given "complete and final decision-making power" in several key areas. He was given complete authority over liturgy, the archdiocesan tribunal, seminarians and priestly formation, laicized priests, and issues of health care and ministry to homosexuals.
Wuerl was ordained bishop on January 6, 1986 at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy by Pope John Paul II.
Bishop of Pittsburgh
Wuerl was appointed as the eleventh bishop of the Diocese of PittsburghRoman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is a Roman Catholic diocese. It was established in Western Pennsylvania on August 11, 1843. The diocese includes 211 parishes in the counties of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence, and Washington, an area of with a Catholic population of 719,801...
on February 12, 1988 and installed on March 25, 1988.
In 1989, Wuerl merged Sacred Heart and St. Paul Cathedral high schools to establish Oakland Catholic High School
Oakland Catholic High School
Oakland Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic college preparatory school for girls located in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. It was established by Bishop Donald Wuerl in 1989 as the merger of former all-girl parish high schools of Sacred Heart and St. Paul...
(all female-only schools) in the Oakland
Oakland (Pittsburgh)
Oakland is the academic, cultural, and healthcare center of Pittsburgh and is Pennsylvania's third largest "Downtown". Only Center City Philadelphia and Downtown Pittsburgh can claim more economic and social activity than Oakland...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh, using the buildings at St. Paul Cathedral High School.
Wuerl launched and hosted a television program, The Teaching of Christ, in 1990 and wrote an adult catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
with the same name. He taught at Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
in Pittsburgh as a distinguished service professor. Wuerl has served as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
since 1999 for the Order of Malta, Federal Association, U.S.A., a division of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, commonly referred to as the Knights of Malta. Wuerl has also written regular columns in Columbia, the major publication of the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
in the United States.
Wuerl closed 73 church buildings, which included 37 churches, and reduced 331 parishes by 117 through merging while bishop of Pittsburgh; he was managing the remaining 214 parishes when he left in June 2006. Wuerl's plan, The Parish Reorganization and Revitalization Project, is now used as a model for other dioceses seeking parish suppression. The mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
that housed Wuerl for over two decades as well as his four predecessors in the Diocese of Pittsburgh was sold since the new bishop, David Zubik, decided to live at St. Paul's Seminary. The Jacobethan
Jacobethan
Jacobethan is the style designation coined in 1933 by John Betjeman to describe the mixed national Renaissance revival style that was made popular in England from the late 1820s, which derived most of its inspiration and its repertory from the English Renaissance , with elements of Elizabethan and...
Revival house along Fifth Avenue, at 9842 square feet (914.4 m²) with 39 rooms, which include 11 bedrooms, six full baths, and a half-bath, had an appraised value of $1.5 million and is one of the largest homes in the Shadyside
Shadyside (Pittsburgh)
Shadyside is a neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It has zip codes of both 15232 and 15206, and has representation on Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 8...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh. As of March 2009, the property was listed for sale at $2.5 million; it formerly enclosed an extensive collection of antiques, Oriental rug
Oriental rug
An authentic oriental rug is a handmade carpet that is either knotted with pile or woven without pile.By definition - Oriental rugs are rugs that come from the orient...
s, and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
during Wuerl's residency. The property was sold to an anonymous private trust for over $2 million.
Archbishop of Washington
Wuerl was installed as archbishop of Washington on June 22, 2006 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate ConceptionBasilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a prominent Latin Rite Catholic basilica located in Washington, D.C., honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States...
and received the pallium
Pallium
The pallium is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. In that context it has always remained unambiguously...
from Pope Benedict XVI on June 29, 2006.
In April 2008, Wuerl, as archbishop of Washington, hosted the Apostolic Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the District of Columbia, which included a visit to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, the celebration of Vespers at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a prominent Latin Rite Catholic basilica located in Washington, D.C., honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States...
, Mass at the new Nationals Park, and an address at The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
.
Wuerl has been chairman of the board of directors at the National Catholic Educational Association
National Catholic Educational Association
The National Catholic Educational Association is a private professional educational association of over 200,000 educators in Catholic schools, universities, and religious education programs...
since December 12, 2005. He is also chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
at the Catholic University of America. In September 2010, Wuerl was appointed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
delegate in the United States to facilitate the implementation of the Apostolic Constitution
Apostolic constitution
An apostolic constitution is the highest level of decree issued by the Pope. The use of the term constitution comes from Latin constitutio, which referred to any important law issued by the Roman emperor, and is retained in church documents because of the inheritance that the canon law of the...
Anglicanorum Coetibus issued Pope Benedict XIV in November 2009 to provide for those Anglican faithful who desire to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church in a corporate manner. . He also heads the U.S. bishops’ ad hoc committee created for such implementation. Other members of the ad hoc committee are Bishop Kevin William Vann
Kevin William Vann
Kevin William Vann is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the third and current Bishop of Fort Worth.-Early life and education:...
of Fort Worth, Texas, and Bishop Robert Joseph McManus
Robert Joseph McManus
Robert Joseph McManus is the fifth Bishop of Worcester, Massachusetts. He has been in post since May 14, 2004, where he succeeded Daniel P. Reilly, who retired.-Life before Worcester:...
of Worcester, Massachusetts. The committee will be assisted by Father Scott Hurd.
Commitment to Priestly Formation
From 1994 until 2003, as Bishop of Pittsburgh, Cardinal Wuerl served as a Member of the Board of Governors of The Pontifical North American CollegePontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
in Rome (Chairman, 1998–1999), representing the Pennsylvania-New Jersey Region (Region III) of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 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 Converence (Region IV).
Elevation to College of Cardinals
On November 20, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI elevated Archbishop Wuerl to the College of Cardinals in a public consistory held at Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome. He was created Cardinal-Priest of S. Pietro in Vincoli, (Saint Peter in Chains), in Rome. In December 2010 Cardinal Wuerl was appointed a member of the Congregation for the ClergyCongregation for the Clergy
The Sacred Congregation for the Clergy is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for overseeing matters regarding priests and deacons not belonging to religious orders...
and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity origins are associated with the Second Vatican Council which met intermittently from 1962–1965.Pope John XXIII wanted the Catholic Church to engage in the contemporary ecumenical movement...
.
On Monday, October 24, 2011, the Holy Father
Holy Father
Holy Father may refer to:*God the Father, the title given to the god of many monotheistic religions*The Pope, the leader of the Catholic Church*The Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the head of that church...
, His Holiness
His Holiness
His Holiness is the official style or manner of address in reference to the leaders of certain religious groups. In Christianity, specifically the Orthodox Church, the Coptic Orthodox Church, Armenian Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Roman Catholic...
, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
, named Cardinal Wuerl to be the Relator-General of the 2012 World Synod of Bishops meeting on the New Evangelization.
Public Positions on moral and political issues
Conservative Christianity
Conservative Christianity is a term applied to a number of groups or movements seen as giving priority to traditional Christian beliefs and practices...
but not authoritarian. He supports determining whether a pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
Catholic politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
should be denied Communion
Eucharist (Catholic Church)
"At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood."...
on an individual basis, once saying, "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."
During Fall 2009, the D.C. City Council
Council of the District of Columbia
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local 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 instead overseen directly by the federal government...
proposed and ultimately passed a same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
bill. In November 2009, Wuerl signed an ecumenical statement known as the Manhattan Declaration
Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience
The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience is a manifesto issued by Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christian leaders to affirm support of "the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty". It was drafted on October 20, 2009 and released November 20, 2009,...
calling on evangelicals, Catholics and Orthodox not to comply with rules and laws permitting abortion, same-sex marriage and other matters that go against their religious consciences. The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is between a man and a woman and that the extension of the civil definition of marriage to same-sex couples undermines the common good of society as a whole. In the debate on the D.C. same-sex marriage bill, the Archdiocese of Washington advocated for religious liberty provisions that would protect the Church's ability to provide social services (i.e. adoption) in accordance with Catholic teaching on marriage. After the Washington Post characterized the archdiocese as giving an "ultimatum" to the city, Wuerl clarified the Church's position in a letter to the Post, stating 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." In December 2009, on the day of the bill's passage, same-sex marriage advocates still claimed 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." However, reflecting the requirements of the newly-enacted law upon adoption services in the District of Columbia, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington was forced to end its foster care and public adoption program because it could not license same-sex couples for the program.
Criticism
Some traditionalist Catholics criticized a letter that Wuerl issued in response to Summorum PontificumSummorum Pontificum
Summorum Pontificum is an Apostolic Letter of Pope Benedict XVI, issued "motu proprio" . The document specified the rules, for the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, for celebrating Mass according to the "Missal promulgated by John XXIII in 1962" , and for administering most of the sacraments in...
. The letter stated that "his permission must be received prior to making any permanent commitments by a parish for the public celebration, on a regular basis, of the 1962 form of the Roman liturgy as an extraordinary form of the Roman Rite
Extraordinary form of the Roman Rite
"An extraordinary form of the Roman Rite" is a phrase used in Pope Benedict XVI's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum to describe the liturgy of the 1962 Roman Missal, widely referred to as the "Tridentine Mass"...
." Wuerl argued in his letter that this restriction is in accord with Article 5 of Summorum Pontificum, which states that "public or regularly scheduled Masses be offered under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392, avoiding discord and favoring the unity of the whole Church."
The full text of Article 5, Section 1 of Summorum Pontificum is as follows. It contains both the admonition to pastors to establish an extraordinary form when there is a stable group of faithful, and the provision that the pastor act under the guidance of his bishop in the manner Wuerl establishes:
- Art. 5. § 1 : In parishes, where there is a stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, the pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare of these faithful harmonises with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392, avoiding discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church.
Pastoral letters as Archbishop of Washington
- "Disciples of the Lord: Sharing the Vision", August 23, 2010
- "God's Mercy and Loving Presence", January 3, 2010
- "Belonging to God's Family", January 25, 2009
- "Catholic Education: Looking to the Future with Confidence", September 14, 2008
- "Reflections on God's Mercy And Our Forgiveness", January 1, 2008
- "God's Mercy and the Sacrament of Penance", January 8, 2007
External links
- Catholic Hierarchy
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh History of Bishops webpage
- Criticism of Archbishop Donald Wuerl
- Schools Controversy in Archdiocese of Washington