A Catholic Church official is resigning from his post as the archbishop of Washington, D.C., after he was implicated in recent clergy sex abuse scandals.
The Vatican announced Friday that Pope Francis accepted Cardinal Donald Wuerl's resignation.
A Pennsylvania grand jury report released in August accused Wuerl of reassigning and reinstating some priests accused of abusing children during the years he served as the bishop of Pittsburgh.
Wuerl was later accused by the former Vatican ambassador to the U.S. of knowing about sexual abuse allegations against ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick years before they became public.
Even without these accusations, Wuerl was close to leaving his post anyway. Church policy has bishops tendering their resignation at age 75, but they can stay on for longer if the pope chooses. Wuerl, who's turning 78 next month, told The Washington Post back in March that he expected to serve until age 80.
Pope Francis has reportedly asked Wuerl to remain with the archdiocese as an "apostolic administrator" until his successor is chosen.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
