UNITED STATES
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

December 16, 2013

By Peter Smith / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Donald Wuerl to a Vatican board with strong influence on the appointment of bishops — the latest in a string of appointments of native Pittsburgh clerics to high places.

The move is also seen as reflecting the pontiff’s emphasis on pastoral rather than combative leadership.

Pope Francis on Monday named Cardinal Wuerl, the former longtime bishop of Pittsburgh and now archbishop of Washington, D.C., to the Congregation of Bishops, a body of bishops from throughout the world who recommend appointments for positions as bishop. Although the congregation as a whole votes on recommendations, and the pope has the final word, the recommendations of individual members for positions in their home countries typically carry clout, say Vatican observers.

Cardinal Wuerl’s is the latest and one of the most important in a string…