VATICAN CITY
AFP

October 12, 2018

Pope Francis on Friday accepted the resignation of Washington DC archbishop Donald Wuerl, who has been blamed for not doing enough to deal with paedophile priests.

Cardinal Wuerl, 77, had offered to resign on September 21 after facing strong criticism over a report detailing mass sexual abuse cases when he was a bishop in Pennsylvania.

Francis finally accepted his resignation on Friday in a letter in which he praised Wuerl’s “nobility” and said the cardinal would stay on until his successor is appointed.

Wuerl said in a statement that he was “deeply touched” by the pope’s letter and that his replacement would “allow all of the faithful, clergy, religious and lay, to focus on healing and the future”.

He also apologised for “any past errors in judgement”.