Friday, March 29, 2024

Pope Francis Appoints D.C. Bishop as First Ever African American Cardinal (Watch)

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Wilton Gregory: Pope Francis names first African-American cardinal

*With Pope Francis elevating Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory as one of 13 new cardinals, he will make history as the first Black American prelate ever.

In a surprise announcement Sunday to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square, Francis promotes Gregory as he is trying to rebuild trust in an archdiocese rocked by sexual abuse cases. Although the move was widely anticipated, as D.C. archbishops are typically elevated to cardinal after their appointments, it’s nonetheless symbolically significant in the U.S. Catholic Church, where Black people have been underrepresented among the leadership, according to The Washington Post.

Gregory, 72, was appointed archbishop of Washington last year to take over for Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who had been accused of mishandling clerical abuse cases. Archbishop Gregory has also been critical of President Donald Trump over his use of rhetoric and visits to religious sites.

The archbishop rebuked Trump’s visit to a shrine to St John Paul II in Washington, calling it “baffling and reprehensible.” The visit came in June, a day after the president had ordered the dispersal of peaceful protesters near the White House.

As a cardinal, Gregory will be eligible to vote in any papal election until he reaches the cutoff age of 80.

Watch Pope Francis announce Gregory below:

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