Wilton Daniel Gregory

Wilton Daniel Gregory (born December 7, 1947) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who has been serving as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington since 2019.

Wilton Gregory was born on December 7, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, to Ethel (née Duncan) and Wilton Gregory.

One of three children, he has two sisters: Elaine and Claudia.

Gregory's parents divorced when he was quite young, and his grandmother, Etta Mae Duncan, subsequently moved in with the family at their home on the South Side.

In 1958, he was enrolled at St. Carthage Grammar School, where he decided to become a priest even before he converted to Catholicism.

He was baptized and received his First Communion in 1959, and was confirmed by Bishop Raymond P. Hillinger later that year.

After graduating from St. Carthage in 1961, Gregory attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary South and Niles College in Chicago, and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.

At the age of 25, Gregory was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 9, 1973.

For the next three years he served as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Glenview.

In 1976, Gregory began graduate studies at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute at the Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm in Rome.

He completed his Doctor of Sacred Liturgy (SLD) in 1980.

After returning to Illinois, Gregory taught as a professor of liturgy at Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary and served as a master of ceremonies under Cardinals Cody and Bernardin.

Gregory previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago in Illinois from 1983 to 1994; as bishop of the Diocese of Belleville in Illinois, from 1994 to 2004; and as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in Georgia from 2005 to 2019.

He was the first Black president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

On October 31, 1983, Gregory was appointed by Pope John Paul II as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago and titular bishop of Oliva.

Gregory received his episcopal consecration on December 13, 1983, from Bernardin, with Bishops Alfred Abramowicz and Nevin Hayes serving as co-consecrators.

On December 29, 1993, John Paul II appointed Gregory as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Belleville; he was installed on February 10, 1994.

He had been vice president from 1998 to 2001 and chair of several committees.

During his presidency, the USCCB issued the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" in response to Catholic sex abuse cases.

Gregory was also a board member at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

He served as president from 2001 to 2004, when the USCCB issued the "Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People" in response to the sexual abuse scandal in the US Catholic church.

From 2001 to 2004, Gregory served as USCCB president, just the second African-American to head an episcopal conference.

In 2002, in recognition of his handling of the sex abuse scandal with repeated apologies and the laicization of priests, Gregory was chosen as Time Magazine's Person of the Week.

In 2003, Gregory stated that the US Supreme Court decision on sodomy laws, Lawrence v. Texas, was to be deplored.

John Paul II named Gregory as the seventh archbishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta on December 9, 2004.

His installation took place on January 17, 2005.

He was the third African-American archbishop in the US; the first two, Eugene A. Marino and James P. Lyke, were also archbishops of Atlanta.

Gregory has been active in the church in advocating for the prevention of child sexual abuse by Roman Catholic clergy and religious, and for implementing policies to protect the faithful from sexual abuse.

He has been one of the leading bishops in the United States regarding this endeavor.

Gregory wrote a bi-weekly column for the Roman Catholic newspaper of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, The Georgia Bulletin entitled "What I have seen and heard".

In it, he regularly shared reflections about his faith, work, and experiences.

Gregory spoke out against the 2014 Safe Carry Protection Act, passed by the Georgia General Assembly.

The law permits licensed gun owners to carry guns into many public and private places, including churches, school property, bars, nightclubs, libraries, and some government buildings in Georgia.

The law was supported by the Georgia Baptist Convention, but opposed by Catholic and Episcopalian church leaders.

Gregory stated that guns would not be allowed in Roman Catholic churches in Georgia, except for those military and civil service personnel who are required to have them.

He stated that carrying guns in churches places vulnerable individuals, such as children, those who are disabled, and the elderly, at risk.

He says it is against Jesus' teachings of peace, and wrote, "'Rather than make guns more available as a solution, we need leaders in government and society who will speak against violence in all aspects of life and who teach ways of reconciliation and peace and who make justice, not vengeance, our goal.'"In 2014, Gregory was criticized after the archdiocese used $2.2 million from a bequest to build a new archbishop's residence in the Buckhead section of Atlanta on property donated to the church.

Pope Francis elevated him to the rank of cardinal on November 28, 2020.

He is the first African-American cardinal.

Then in October 2020, Gregory was interviewed in an Associated Press article which noted "Gregory has drawn notice for his relatively inclusive approach for LGBT Catholics, and said it was essential that they be treated with respect."