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Pope Francis Appoints First African-American Cardinal

Wilton Gregory is a renowned civil rights advocate who made headlines during the Black Lives Matter protests over summer.

Wilton Gregory, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., has become the Catholic Church’s first African American cardinal following a ceremony on Saturday at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Pope Francis confirmed 13 new cardinals—the church’s highest rank—by giving them their ring and traditional red hat, known as a biretta. Gregory said that his appointment was “an affirmation of Black Catholics in the United States, the heritage of faith and fidelity that we represent.” Gregory is a renowned civil rights advocate who made headlines during the Black Lives Matter protests over summer when he criticized President Trump for planning to visit a Catholic shrine.