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Washington's Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl exemplifies an unusual aspect of the Catholic Church's governance: when most other men and women are retiring and winding down, senior prelates are reaching the zenith of their authority and influence. Although bishops are required by canon law to submit their resignation to the pope at age 75, many work well beyond those years, often wielding clout well into their 80s.
That is a primary reason the authors of this new biography -- they actually eschew the label of "biography" in the introduction -- caution us that this book is hardly the definitive story of Cardinal Wuerl, who only recently turned 75.
He arguably is America's most important and influential prelate in the midst of the pontificate of Pope Francis. Indeed, Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, CEO of Salt and Light Television Network in Canada and an English-language assistant to the Holy See Press Office, says: "He (Cardinal Wuerl) is one of the most articulate interpreters of who Francis is and what Francis is doing."
