After Wuerl’s pullout, Pope in Ireland may have to face not just crime but cover-up

• John L. Allen Jr.
  Aug 19, 2018
  EDITOR

Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington is pictured as Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Washington Sept. 23, 2015. A grand jury report in Pennsylvania is critical of the actions of then-Bishop Wuerl of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in responding to incidents of sexually abusive priests. In a statement, Cardinal Wuerl said he "established strong policies" on abuse claims during his 1988 to 2006 tenure in Pittsburgh. (Credit: CNS photo/Paul Haring.)

DUBLIN - An already challenging trip to Ireland for Pope Francis next weekend became even more vexing on Saturday, as news broke that Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., had pulled out of a keynote speech at the World Meeting of Families which is the official purpose of the pontiff’s visit.
Wuerl withdrew because of the tempest caused by a Pennsylvania Grand Jury report questioning his record on handling sexual abuse charges as the bishop of Pittsburgh in the 1990s and 2000s. In that context, the no-show adds additional pressure on Francis to tackle the abuse scandals head on while he’s in a country which, arguably, has been more scarred by them than any other place in the world.
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