Pope Francis has bestowed the highest Catholic rank in the United States to Archbishop Wilton Gregory, a Black man.
The New York Times reports Gregory, appointed the Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington, is also anticipated to become a cardinal. As a cardinal, Gregory would have the power to vote for the next pope following Francis' rule.
He'll be the first African American to hold each of the distinguished positions in the history of the Catholic Church.
Gregory, 71, is currently archbishop of Atlanta. He will lead the Catholic political sphere in Washington, D.C., after he's sworn into his new position on May 21.
The position is the most influential in politics. It is reported that many previous D.C. archbishops became trusted associates to powerful players including diplomats, cultural and informational leaders and even American presidents.
HuffPost reports the Vatican noted the important date of the announcement: the 51st anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. The news was detailed in its daily bulletin along with a news conference Thursday morning.
“This is obviously a moment fraught with challenges,” said Archbishop Gregory during the presser, “nowhere more so than in this local faith community.”
“We will reclaim the future,” he continued. “It is my only aspiration.”
Gregory is expected to bring a breath of freshly liberal air. The progressive is well-known for his political views and has previously been vocally critical of the Church, combatting it on its controversial stances over abortion and homosexuality.
As Atlanta's archbishop, he came under fire from conservatives for inviting Georgia Rev. James Martin to speak on the need for the LGBTQ community to be accepted into the faith and commissioned a plan of action to help in alleviating environmental issues by offering a step-by-step guide for Catholics to take at home and in their sanctuaries.
He has also been critical about rampant sexual abuse within the church. He assisted in instating the Dallas Charter, a zero-tolerance policy for children sexual abusers.
“From this day forward no one known to have sexually abused a child will work in the Catholic Church in the United States," said Archbishop Gregory, then of Belleville, Illinois. "We bishops apologize to anyone harmed by one of our priests, and for our tragically slow response in recognizing the horror of sexual abuse.”
Gregory's newly appointed position has remained vacant for nearly six months following the resignation of Cardinal Donald Wuerl. Wuerl stepped down from his position last October after the Catholic Church was found at fault for turning a blind eye to sexual assault committed by Theodore E. Marrick during his time as archbishop of Pittsburgh.
In February, Marrick, a former cardinal and prior archbishop of Washington before Wuerl, became the first American to be expelled from priesthood for decades of sexual abuse he inflicted on minors and adult seminarians.
“The Holy Father’s selection of Archbishop Gregory shows that he wanted someone who was thoughtful, progressive and open-minded to lead one of the most important archdioceses in the world,” said Rev. Martin.
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