In a letter to the Priests of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, Cardinal Wuerl appears to indicate that, despite the outrage at his sex abuse cover-up, he is not resigning.
Instead, he seems to be digging in his heels and hoping to ride out the storm.
The Cardinal is calling for a "season of healing" to address the sex abuse crisis.
He acknowledges the angry calls for him to step down, but is choosing to remain in spite of them.
In his letter, he states that in a September 3 "prayer and discernment" meeting with his Priests, "Among the many observations was that the archdiocese would be well served by new leadership to help move beyond the current confusion, disappointment and disunity."
In response, he suggests that a "season of healing" be initiated throughout the Archdiocese as "an invitation for parishes and parishioners to come together in prayer, to give voice to the pain and suffering of the survivors of clergy sexual abuse, while also recognizing the pain and wound of the whole Church."
The program is scheduled to begin on September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, and continue each consecutive Friday for six weeks.
Many have been demanding that Cardinal Wuerl step down after it was revealed in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report that he was complicit in the cover-up of sex abuse as Bishop of Pittsburgh.
Since the August 14 release of the Grand Jury’s findings, nearly 70,000 people have signed an online petition demanding the Cardinal be removed from office.
But even as Cardinal Wuerl’s letter was being delivered, an allegation surfaced that a homosexual-predator Priest has been allowed to preach and minister in the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, with the full knowledge and consent of the Cardinal and his delegates.
Father Emmanuel Betasso, whose legal name is Patrick Anthony Betassio, was arrested in Milwaukee in 2011 for groping an 18-year-old male in a hot tub. Although he was suspended from the Carmelites, he is currently with the Carmelites in Washington, D.C., where he still preaches.
An allegation has been made that the Archdiocese knows about Betassio's past but has not acted to remove him.
As of this writing, neither the Cardinal nor the Archdiocese have responded.
If Cardinal Wuerl has decided to “ride out the storm”, he must be aware that a goodly number of his flock have already abandoned ship and that treacherous waters lie ahead for him and the Archdiocese of Washington, DC.
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