Not long ago, Cardinal Donald Wuerl was seen as the consummate “insider”. As Archbishop of Washington, he was probably the most politically well-connected clergyman in the United States; he gained particular notoriety for taking a “middle” position on giving Communion to pro-choice politicians, giving him the confidence of liberal Democrats who would otherwise steer clear of Catholic clergymen.
Yet, at the same time, he did not publicly deviate from the Church’s line on other questions: life issues, human sexuality, or any of the hot-button topics in American politics. He was the consummate moderate, deftly navigating the politics of religion, never running afoul with either the Republicans or Democrats.
