WASHINGTON (DC)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
By Peter Smith / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
WASHINGTON — The pageantry, puffs of incense and polyphonic choral voices filled the domed sanctuary as worshipers celebrated the 175th anniversary of the Roman Catholic cathedral parish in the nation’s capital last Sunday.
And when it was over, Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl stood in his formal vestments at the back of St. Matthew’s Cathedral. With a broad smile contrasting with his slight frame, he greeted one by one worshipers who ranged from Latino and African immigrants to government workers transplanted from the American heartland to even a few visitors from the cardinal’s native Pittsburgh.
He shook hands with some, hugged others and crouched to greet small children. He obliged a few requests to bless a holy object or pose for photos.
Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington, formerly bishop of Pittsburgh, turns 75 on November 12. Under church law bishops have to offer their resignations at age 75, but the pope doesn’t have to accept them right away. (Video by Bob Donaldson)
The cathedral wasn’t the only one having a milestone this month.
Cardinal Wuerl — who served as bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh from 1988 to 2006 before moving here — marks his 75th birthday on Thursday.
As church law requires, he’ll send a letter on that date to Pope Francis, offering his resignation as archbishop of the fast-growing Archdiocese of Washington.
Don’t expect him to go quickly into retirement, however. Popes rarely accept bishops’ resignations right away, typically deliberating for months or longer on a successor. Cardinals often stay in their archdioceses for years.
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