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An African-American becomes a Catholic cardinal

“Pope Francis on Sunday elevated Archbishop of Washington, D.C., Wilton Gregory, to cardinal, making him the first African American appointed to the red-hat conclave,” ABC News reported on Sunday, October 25, 2020.

Gregory may have a chance to participate in a papal election, because Francis is 84 and cardinals vote until age 80.

“The 72-year-old Gregory, who led the … Church’s response to an internal sexual abuse scandal in the early 2000s,” and will be installed on Nov. 28, ABC News said, continuing,

“The historical appointment came two years after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a pastoral letter … imploring the Catholic church to practice what it preaches in regards to racial equality. In June, Francis denounced the ‘sin of racism’ and identified George Floyd … as the victim of a ‘tragic’ killing.”

So let me get this straight: Catholics call abortion murder, but the pope won’t call Floyd’s death “murder.” Was Christ’s crufixion a “tragic killing,” too? I’ve always thought it was a political murder. But elevating Gregory, an outspoken civil rights advocate (see story here), may represent a head shake at America’s racial injustices.

Anyway, it’s about time U.S. Catholics, who number more than 70 million, finally have a black cardinal as an inspirational leader. Gregory, a Chicago native, converted to Catholicism during his school days, became a priest at age 25, served as a bishop in Illinois, then as Archbishop of Atlanta, and currently is Archbishop of Washington (which includes D.C. and several Maryland counties); and is a past president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Read story here.

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0 Comments Add Yours ↓

  1. Mark Adams #
    1

    What you left out is the man could become the first black pope. Gotta be a red hat to be in the room.

    Of course the pope is not going to call many murders murder, but rather tragic killings as this is all political. The Vatican is rather good at being diplomatic.

    The church would not have Christs crucifixion in any other way, as the church is into the part of Christ dying for all mens sins, and for eternal life. Just overlook the church’s self interest of the approximately 2000 years.

    Wow wouldn’t it be grand if at the end of the next floor shore at the Vatican we get some homeless gypsy woman as pope and she goes by the Pope name of Jesus.

  2. Roger Rabbit #
    2