Yes, my brothers and sisters, shame, i wish I could re-do everything over these 30 years as a bishop and each time get it always right. That's not the case. I do think together, asking for God's mercy, pleading for God's grace, recognizing that we can move into light, I simply ask you to keep me, keep all of those that have been abused, all of those who have suffered, all of the church in your prayers.

Donald Wuerl

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Confession is something we will never outgrow, even if we become the saints God made us to be. Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa of Calcutta were revered even during their lifetime; but both made frequent use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Donald Wuerl

saint use mother

Everything we see in a Catholic church is there for a single purpose: to tell a love story.

Donald Wuerl

catholic church purpose

I can say with total conviction that it was the Holy Spirit that chose, guided the election of Pope Francis.

Donald Wuerl

pope election spirit

In the pulpit, were supposed to present the teaching with all of its unvarnished clarity, but when you step out of the pulpit, you have to meet people where they are and try to walk with them.

Donald Wuerl

teaching trying people

People of faith should be able to have confidence in their right to freely express and live their beliefs.

Donald Wuerl

able belief people

Gods revelation has always been in deeds. Gods interventions in history have always been in deeds, in actions. Then there are those who interpret the actions, and then there are those who write down the interpretations of the actions.

Donald Wuerl

deeds action writing

There are serious problems that have to do with the environment, that have to do with the way in which we live and consume.

Donald Wuerl

serious problem way

Confession has been my habitual homecoming since I was a child. It is a consolation and a joy, and such joy, our faith teaches us, is meant for everyone. It is our vocation to bring it to as many people as possible.

Donald Wuerl

joy children people

What the church is really concerned about is what endures.

Donald Wuerl

endure concerned church

While I understand this report may be critical of some of my actions, I believe the report confirms that I acted with diligence, with concern for the victims and to prevent future acts of abuse.

Donald Wuerl

The great American tradition is one of pluralism, not exclusive secularism. The strength of our country is reflected in the contributions that we all make to the common good.

Donald Wuerl

great good tradition strength

Children need to have a home. I don't mean a physical four walls and a room. There needs to be an emotional and spiritual and loving place in life. That's what a family is.

Donald Wuerl

family home life children

You were part of a parish life. It was a great community to grow up in. I just was impressed by our parish priests. After a while, I began to think maybe I could do that.

Donald Wuerl

great you community life

At the parish level, where the church lives and moves and breathes, that's where we need to be engaging our people much more in understanding the Word of God... the Word of God reflected in the traditional teaching of the church, the Word of God reflected in the scriptures, is as much a part of their lives as anything else.

Donald Wuerl

understanding church god people

Our God who created all of us is the God who calls all of us to care for one another. I think that's going to be one of the big, big challenges of the future, helping refocus on the needs of others.

Donald Wuerl

future care god challenges

The things of Catholic life are never boring because we have such a rich tradition and so many stories to tell.

Donald Wuerl

never rich tradition life

When I was a young priest in the 1960s and 1970s, there was much experimentation and confusion in the Church. Teachers and clergy were encouraged to communicate an experience of God's love, but to do it without reference to the Creed, the sacraments, or the tradition.

Donald Wuerl

tradition experience god love

The freedom to be able to offer education, human services, and health care in accordance with our own identity as a church should not be denied us simply because there may be the perception of a political majority who favors a new understanding of the American tradition of pluralism.

Donald Wuerl

tradition freedom health education

No one should be forced to violate one's conscience, nor should anyone be forced out of service of the common good because there are some things their conscience tells them they cannot do.

Donald Wuerl

things good service conscience

We sometimes get so caught up in one or another aspect of the teaching, we forget that if a person hasn't been introduced to Christ, if a person hasn't embraced the risen Lord and the church that's an expression of that experience, what we're saying just sounds like a bunch of rules or negative statements limiting their personal freedom.

Donald Wuerl

experience freedom church sometimes