- In full:
- Wilton Daniel Gregory
- Born:
- December 7, 1947, Chicago, Illinois, U.S. (age 78)
Cardinal Wilton Gregory
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Who is Cardinal Wilton Gregory?
Cardinal Wilton Gregory (born December 7, 1947) is an American Roman Catholic prelate and the first African American cardinal. He served as archbishop of Washington, D.C., from 2019 to 2025. Previously, he was archbishop of Atlanta (2005–19) and bishop of Belleville, Illinois (1994–2005). Gregory was also the first Black president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (2001–04).
Gregory played an active role in the Roman Catholic Church in America, addressing the sex abuse scandal and striving to improve the religious life of African American Catholics. In 2020, Pope Francis named Gregory cardinal, marking him as the first African American in the Catholic Church’s highest governing body. In January 2025, Gregory resigned as archbishop.
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What position does Cardinal Wilton Gregory hold in the Catholic Church?
Cardinal Wilton Gregory is an American Roman Catholic prelate who served as the archbishop of Washington, D.C., from 2019 to 2025. In October 2020, Pope Francis named Gregory a cardinal, making him the first African American to join the Catholic Church's highest governing body. As a cardinal, his duties included advising the Pope, electing a new Pope, and aiding in governing the Roman Catholic Church. Gregory previously served as archbishop of Atlanta (2005–19) and as bishop of Belleville, Illinois (1994–2005). Wilton was also the first Black president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (2001–04).
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Where has Cardinal Wilton Gregory served as an archbishop?
Cardinal Wilton Gregory has served as an archbishop in two locations:
* Atlanta (2005–2019)
* Washington, D.C. (2019–2025)In 2020, Pope Francis elevated Gregory to the position of cardinal. He was the first African American to join the Catholic Church's highest governing body.
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Why is Cardinal Wilton Gregory historically significant in the United States?
Cardinal Wilton Gregory is historically significant in the United States as the first African American cardinal. Named cardinal in October 2020 by Pope Francis, his appointment to the Catholic Church’s highest governing body was seen as a message of inclusion during a time of racial justice calls in the U.S. He served as archbishop of Washington, D.C., from 2019 to 2025. Gregory was also the first Black president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (2001–04). As president, he addressed the sex abuse scandal, defined policies to protect children, and improved the religious life of African American Catholics.
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How has Cardinal Wilton Gregory spoken out on social or community issues?
As archbishop and cardinal, Wilton Gregory has addressed social and community issues, including the Catholic sex abuse scandal, for which he helped define policies to protect children. In 2020, amid calls for racial justice, his appointment as the first African American cardinal was viewed as a message of inclusion. Though he would not deny communion to President Joe Biden because of Biden's support for abortion rights, Gregory has referred to Biden as a "cafeteria Catholic". Gregory has also been noted for his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics.
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What has Cardinal Wilton Gregory contributed to the Catholic Church in America?
Cardinal Wilton Gregory has significantly influenced the Catholic Church in America through his roles as archbishop of Washington, D.C., archbishop of Atlanta, and bishop of Belleville, Illinois. As the first African American cardinal, his appointment was viewed as a message of inclusion. Gregory served as the first Black president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (2001–04). He addressed the sex abuse scandal, helped define policies to protect children, and worked to improve the religious life of African American Catholics. In 2022, Gregory limited the celebration of the traditional Latin mass in the Washington archdiocese, aligning with Pope Francis’s liturgical reforms. He also gained attention for his stance on not denying communion to President Joe Biden and his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics.
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Cardinal Wilton Gregory (born December 7, 1947, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.) is an American Roman Catholic prelate, former archbishop of Washington, D.C. (2019–25), and the first African American cardinal. He previously served as archbishop of Atlanta (2005–19) and as bishop of Belleville, Illinois (1994–2005). Wilton also was the first Black president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (2001–04).
As a student at St. Carthage Grammar School, a Catholic parochial school in Chicago, Gregory decided that he wanted to be a priest even though he was not Catholic. He converted at age 11 and later attended Niles College (renamed St. Joseph’s College Seminary in 1994) of Loyola University and Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary, both in the Chicago area. He was ordained a priest on May 9, 1973. In 1980 he earned a doctorate in sacred liturgy at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute (Sant’Anselmo) in Rome. He served as an associate pastor, seminary instructor, and assistant to Cardinal John Cody and Cardinal Joseph Bernardin. He was ordained auxiliary bishop of Chicago on December 13, 1982, and installed as bishop of Belleville on February 10, 1994.
As bishop, Gregory played an active role in the life of the Roman Catholic Church in America. He wrote extensively on church issues, served on several church committees, and was vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (1998–2001). He was elected to a three-year term as president of the conference on November 13, 2001. His greatest challenge as president was the sex abuse scandal plaguing the church, a problem he had dealt with successfully as bishop. Having recognized the criminal nature of the sex abuse long before the scandal burst into public view, Gregory helped to define a policy that would protect children from abuse. He also strove to improve the religious life of African American Catholics.
In December 2004 Gregory was appointed archbishop of Atlanta by Pope John Paul II, and he was installed the following year. Gregory drew praise for his continued work to prevent sex abuse. However, in 2014 he faced harsh criticism for constructing a $2.2. million residence. He subsequently apologized and said that the home would be sold. In April 2019 Pope Francis appointed Gregory archbishop of Washington, to succeed Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who resigned amid allegations that he had covered up sexual misconduct. Gregory was installed the following month, becoming the first African American to hold the post.
In October 2020 Pope Francis named Gregory cardinal, elevating him as the first African American to the Catholic Church’s highest governing body. The appointment, which came during a turbulent year in which calls for racial justice again echoed across the United States, was seen as a message of inclusion.
In 2022 Gregory limited the celebration of the traditional Latin mass to three churches in the Washington archdiocese. His decision aligned with Francis’s 2021 apostolic letter Traditionis custodes, which charged bishops to carefully enforce the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) that had thoroughly modernized the mass. However, Gregory’s decision was met with consternation among the growing traditionalist movement in the Catholic Church.
Other notable moments during Gregory’s tenure as archbishop include his statement in 2020 that he would not deny communion to U.S. Pres. Joe Biden, who is a practicing Catholic, because of Biden’s support for abortion rights. However, in an interview in 2024 Gregory called Biden a “cafeteria Catholic,” a pejorative term used to describe Catholics who disagree with the church on some teachings. Gregory was also noted for his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics.
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In January 2025 Gregory resigned as archbishop, two years after having reached the customary retirement age of 75 for bishops. He was succeeded by Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, formerly of the San Diego archdiocese.