Washington archbishop speaks softly and carries a light crozier

WASHINGTON (RNS) In the U.S. Catholic Church, few posts are as prominent asArchbishop of Washington, whose seat in the nation’s capital guarantees a platform that extends far beyond local pews and parishes. Archbishop Donald Wuerl’s influence will only grow after Pope Benedict XVI named him a cardinal on Wednesday (Oct. 20), giving him the pontiff’s […]

(RNS) Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington says the Vatican's new rules on abuse make an important distinction between ``structural?? crimes, such as attempting to ordain women, and moral crimes, such as abusing children. Religion News Service file photo by Jay Premack.

(RNS) Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington says the Vatican’s new rules on abuse make an important distinction between “structural?? crimes, such as attempting to ordain women, and moral crimes, such as abusing children. Religion News Service file photo by Jay Premack.

(RNS) Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington says the Vatican's new rules on abuse make an important distinction between ``structural?? crimes, such as attempting to ordain women, and moral crimes, such as abusing children. Religion News Service file photo by Jay Premack.

(RNS) Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington says the Vatican’s new rules on abuse make an important distinction between “structural?? crimes, such as attempting to ordain women, and moral crimes, such as abusing children. Religion News Service file photo by Jay Premack.

WASHINGTON (RNS) In the U.S. Catholic Church, few posts are as prominent asArchbishop of Washington, whose seat in the nation’s capital guarantees a platform that extends far beyond local pews and parishes.


Archbishop Donald Wuerl’s influence will only grow after Pope Benedict XVI named him a cardinal on Wednesday (Oct. 20), giving him the pontiff’s ear and a seat in the elite College of Cardinals that will eventually elect Benedict’s successor.

In typical fashion, the mild-mannered Wuerl said in a statement he was “humbled” by the pope’s “trust in me as shepherd of this flock,” but saying it wasn’t about him.

“This designation today is an honor for the church,” Wuerl said.

Wuerl’s installation as cardinal — along with 23 other bishops, including only one other American — will be held at the Vatican on Nov. 20.

Wuerl has led the Washington Archdiocese since 2006, when he succeeded the charismatic Cardinal Theodore McCarrick; he is the fifth Washington bishop since 1939 to be elevated to cardinal, according to the archdiocese.

Whereas McCarrick loved hobnobbing with presidents and pundits, Wuerl shuns the spotlight and shows little interest in this city’s celebrity culture. Conversing with queens and political power-brokers, he says frankly, are parts of the job he can do without.

Wuerl has put Washington politicians at ease by speaking softly and carrying a light crozier. He is reluctant to refuse Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights and has not publicly denounced lawmakers — liberal or conservative.


“If you’re going to try to convince, if you’re going to try to persuade, you do that in conversation, meetings and discussions,” he said in a 2007 interview. “You meet the person where they are and try to persuade them.”

Wayne Wuerl, the archbishop’s older brother, said the archbishop is no pushover.

“Quite the contrary. He’s a Type A personality,” he said. “But a Type A personality doesn’t have to be loud to get things accomplished.”

Last year, Wuerl waged an unsuccessful campaign to stop same-sex marriage in Washington, D.C. When gay marriage was legalized, the archdiocese cancelled adoption and foster care contracts with the city, as well as spousal benefits for new employees at Catholic Charities, rather than abide by anti-discrimination laws.

In many ways, Wuerl resembles the pope who put him in Washington. Like Benedict, he is a reserved intellectual who sees himself as a teacher, rather than a culture warrior.

In that sense, at least, Wuerl is poles apart from Archbishop Raymond Burke, the other American named a cardinal on Wednesday, who has lashed out at politicians and other Catholics who counter church teaching on abortion and similar issues. Burke was promoted from archbishop of St. Louis to prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the Vatican’s high court, in 2008.

In contrast to his globe-trotting predecessor, Wuerl seems more concerned with the world of the church than with the church in the world. And, like Benedict, he believes the key to “re-energizing the church” is active participation in the sacraments.


“We have to re-introduce our people to the mystery of what the church is and what the sacraments are,” Wuerl said in the 2007 interview.

Wuerl said education should be an archbishop’s top priority, whether his flock includes senators or janitors. He has authored numerous books on the church and played a large role in writing the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. The day before his elevation to cardinal, he launched a new seminary to be housed at Catholic University.

“I use every single occasion, even something as simple as being invited to an invocation for some event, to make some catechetical point,” he said.

Chester Gillis, a professor of theology at Georgetown University, said the archbishop’s low-profile approach is appreciated among the capital’s sophisticated and high-powered set.

“He doesn’t make inflammatory statements; he doesn’t shoot from the hip,” Gillis has said.

Politicians have called on Wuerl to explain how Catholic teachings impact a particular issue — conversations the archbishop insists must be kept private. Often, Wuerl said, he refers them to specialists in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“I’m the bishop of Washington; I’m not the bishop of the United States,” he said.


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