School drops Cardinal Wuerl's name after report of priests sexually abusing children

by MARC LEVY, Associated Press

Wed, August 22nd 2018, 5:20 PM UTC

Paint covers the name of Cardinal Wuerl at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School, on Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, in Cranberry Township, Pa. (Credit: Keith Srakocic/AP.)

FILE – In this Sept. 23, 2015, file photo, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, left, looks toward the crowd with Pope Francis following a Mass outside the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. Wuerl wrote to priests to defend himself on the eve of the scheduled Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018, release of a grand jury report investigating child sexual abuse in six of Pennsylvania's Roman Catholic dioceses. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

File-This Oct. 1, 2017, file photo shows Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington shaking hands with churchgoers at St. Mathews Cathedral after the Red Mass in Washington. Wuerl is defending himself ahead of a forthcoming grand jury report investigating child sexual abuse in six of Pennsylvania's Roman Catholic dioceses. He says the report will be critical of some of his actions as Pittsburgh's bishop. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

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Paint covers the name of Cardinal Wuerl at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School, on Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, in Cranberry Township, Pa. (Credit: Keith Srakocic/AP.)

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Roman Catholic high school will shed the name of Washington's archbishop, who was cited in a sweeping grand jury report as having allowed priests accused of sexually abusing children to be reassigned or reinstated while he was Pittsburgh's bishop.

The Diocese of Pittsburgh said Wednesday that Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl made the request to remove his name from Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic High School. The school's sign was discovered vandalized Monday.

The 77-year-old Wuerl has defended himself, saying he acted to protect children, promptly investigate allegations and strengthen policies as understanding of child abuse evolved.

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The move is part of the growing fallout from a grand jury report that accused a succession of church leaders of covering up abuse by 300 Catholic priests in Pennsylvania since the 1940s.

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