Cardinal Wuerl sees more 'continuity' than is really there. It is the familiar whistling in the wind.
Pope John Paul II didn't maintain the collegial approach of the second Vatican Council. He more or less terminated collegiality.
The Church hadn't reached 'a good place' after the '30 years of teaching' during the pontificates of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. It had driven itself into a dead-end, with many of the teachings un-received by the faithful, and facing the sad prospect of a 'smaller and purer' church.
I suppose that Cardinal Wuerl is trying to support Francis. But it seems a bit of a stretch to suggest that Francis's message is "Let's keep doing this".