Pope Francis named the first African-American to the Catholic Church's most...
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis named the first African-American to the Catholic Church’s most senior U.S. position on Thursday, seeking to end a period of upheaval in a job whose previous two occupants were caught in sexual abuse scandals.
He would be the first African-American to hold the rank of cardinal too. The U.S. embassy to the Vatican noted that Gregory’s appointment coincided with the 51st anniversary of the assassination of black rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Gregory’s immediate predecessor, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, resigned last October after 12 years in the job following a grand jury report that criticized him for failing to halt abuse in his previous role as archbishop of Pittsburgh.
The same daily bulletin that proclaimed Gregory’s appointment also announced the Vatican had removed the archbishop of the U.S. island territory of Guam from office after conviction for sexual abuse of minors. Another well-known Jesuit priest, Tom Resse, senior analyst for Religion News Service, was also delighted.
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